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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SB0 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


vV 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The( 
to  th 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


□    Covers  damaged/ 
C( 


D 


!ouverture  endommagde 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autras  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilmd  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-4tre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


n 


y/ 


D 


D 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endor^magdes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolor^es,  tachet^es  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


Qualitd  indgale  de  I'impression 

IncL  ies  supplementary  material/ 
Com^rend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  &  nouveau  de  faqon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Thei 
poss 
of  th 
filmii 


Origi 
begii 
the  li 
sion, 
othei 
first 
sion, 
or  illi 


The  I 
shall 
TINl 
whic 

Mapi 
diffe 
entir 
begii 
right 
reqi'i 
metd 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

^ 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


re 

details 
es  du 
modifier 
er  une 
Filmage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  filmd  fut  reproduit  grSce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Bibliothdque  nationale  Hu  Canada 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  tiie  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


les 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim6e  sont  filmds  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  sott  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpont  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END  "). 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivar^s  apparattra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  i  partir 
de  I'aniile  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


>  errata 
d  to 

It 

e  pt:9ure, 

;on  d 


n 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1. 

I    M 

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4 

5 

6 

I 


I 


. 


VIEWS 


OF  LOUISIANA} 


TOCSTHBR 


WITH  A  JOURNAL 


OF    A 


vovaoe  up  thb  missouh?  eiveb,  m  isii. 


te\  H.  M.  BRACKE^RroCE,  es^. 


Pittsburgh, 

iftmtU^  ktltt  >VBLISHXS  BY  CiRAkVS,  STXAR  AKD  BiCHBATjft. 

Jf'rankiin  head  ojice. 


1814. 


-"  '    ninnfm miLlft  « 


DISTRICT  OF  PENN8TLTANIA,  to  wit  : 


BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the  twenty-fourth  day 
of  November,  in  the  thirty-eighth  year  of  the  Independence  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  ^.D.  1813,  Henry  M.  Baack- 
ENRiDGK,  of  the  said  District,  hath  deposited  in  this  office  the 
Title  of  a  Book,  the  right  whereof  he  claims  as  Author— in 
the  words  following,  to  wit : 


"  Views  of  Louisiana;  together  with  a  journal 
jor  a  voyage  up  the  Missouri  riveR)  in  1811.  By  H. 
M.  Brackenridge,  Esq." 


■ 


(■• 


In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  intituled,  «  An  Act  for  the  encouragement  of  Learningi 
by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts  and  Books,  to  the 
Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  times 
therein  mentioned."— -And  also  to  the  Act,  entitled,  "  An  Act 
supplementary  to  an  Act,  entitled,  "  An  Act  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  Learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts  and 
Books,  to  the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  copies  during 
the  times  therein  mentioned,"  and  extending  the  benefits 
thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing,  engraving,  and  etching  histori- 
cal and  other  prints.'" 


D.  CALDWELL, 


CLERK   OP   THB    nXSTRICT    OT   FBN17SyLVAKIA. 


TO  THE  READER. 


rSISYLVAKIA. 


IN  the  spring  of  1810,  T  landed  at  New  Madrid  in  Upper  Louisianuj 
And  proceeded  from  thence  by  land  to  St.  Genevieve,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  settling  myself  in  some  part  of  the  territory  as  a  lawyer.  But 
finding  after  a  short  residence,  that  prospects  of  success  in  that  part 
of  the  world,  were  not  such  as  I  could  have  wished,  I  resolved  to  en\- 
ploy  the  time  I  should  remain  there,  in  making  observations  and  re- 
murks  on  such  things  as  appeared  most  worthy  of  attention.  I  was  in 
a  short  time,  pleased  with  the  employment,  which  drew  me  into  a  more 
extensive  research  than  I  had  at  first  contemplated,  and  gave  rise  to  a 
degree  of  earnestness  in  a  pursuit,  to  which  I  had  before  been  almost 
a  stranger ;  my  studies  having  been  chiefly  directed  to  abstract  subjects, 
to  history,  belles  lettrcs,  and  to  those  in  some  way  connected  with  my 
profession 

In  the  winter  of  1811, 1  published  at  St.  Louis,  the  capital  of  Upper 
Louisiana,  a  series  of  essays  descriptive  of  the  country,  many  of  which, 
were  reprinted  in  periodical  papers  in  the  states,  and  spoken  of  in  terms 
of  approbation.  It  were  needless  to  declare  how  gratifying  this  was  to 
my  feelings,  or,  as  the  reader  will  choose  to  think,  to  my  vanity.  In 
the  heyday  of  youth,  when  the  mind  is  tilled  with  romantic  conceits, 
there  is  nothing  so  pleasant  as  this  taste  of  fame.  It  is  however,  some- 
times productive  of  dangerous  effects,  for  where  this  first  manifesta 
tion  of  applause,  does  not  intoxicate  the  brain  and  paralize  the  ener- 
gies, causing  the  infatuated  being  to  believe,  that  he  has  already  ar- 
rived at  the  highest  degree  of  earthly  honors,  it  is  apt  to  confirm  one 
in  that  pursuit,  where  accident  may  have  crowned  him  with  success. — 
Hence,  I  have  been  in  no  small  danger  of  becoming  an  author,  perhaps 
an  indifferent  one :  a  professed  author  in  our  country,  alas  '.  is  pitiable  in- 
deed.  A  mere  abstract  man,  without  any  degree  of  importance,  or  con- 
sequence, attached  to  him ;  he  is  not  ranked  as  having  any  employ, 
ment  in  the  state,  ecclesiastical,  civil,.or  military,  and  necessarily  takes 
tip  his  abode  next  door  to  starvation!  It  hag  been  supposed  by  lome 
of  my  friends  who  read  my  essays  in  the  public  prints,  that  I  had  in  re- 
ality relinquished  my  profession,  and  that  I  waa  wandering  abont  Ihe 


f* 


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I 


£43 

western  country,  wi-iting  geography,  philosophy,  history,  and  the  Lorti 
knows  what;  but,  I  thank  heaven,  I  have  had  sufficient  firmness  to  ro< 
sist  this  temptation  to  prove  a  recreant  to  the  delightful  pages  of  my 
Lord  Coke,  to  the  erudite  commentator,  Blackstone,  or  to  neglect  my 
new  frionds,  the  code  of  Justinian,  and  commentators  thereon,  the  Por- 
tidas,  the  ordonnances  of  Bilbao,  and  Domat. 

During  the  winter  before  mentioned,  I  became  acquainted  with  Mr 
Bradbury,  Fellow  of  tlic  Linnean  Society;  a  gentleman  as  distinguish- 
ed for  his  agreeable  manners,  sound  understanding,  and  general  sci- 
ence, as  fur  his  attainments  in  the  doparlment  of  natural  history.  My 
acquaintance  with  him  naturally  nourished  the  fondness  1  had  begun  to 
feel  for  the  subjects  treated  of  in  this  volume.  In  the  spring  following, 
this  gentleman  set  off  to  ascend  the  Missouri  in  tl\e  party  of  Mr.  Wil- 
gon  P.  Hunt,  for  tlie  purpose  of  pursuing  his  researches  in  those  unfre- 
quented regions.  Shortly  after  his  departure,  Mr.  Maniiel  Lisa,  one 
of  the  members  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  ascended  with  a  small 
pai'ty,  for  the  purpose  of  retrieving  the  affairs  of  the  company,  which 
had  became  considerably  deranged  :  being  solicited  by  this  gentleman 
to  accompany  him,  my  wish  to  visit  those  countries  was  so  strong,  that 
I  did  not  hesitate,  notwithstanding  that  there  was  much  to  be  feared 
from  the  hostilities  of  the  Indians,  who  of  late  had  been  unfriendly  to 
the  whites  ;  in  so  much,  that  it  was  generally  supposed,  that  even  tho 
considerable  party  of  Mr.  Hunt  would  not  be  able  to  make  its  way 
through  the  Sioux  bands.  The  pleasure  of  being  in  company  with  Mr. 
Bradbury,  whom  we  expected  to  overtake,  was  not  a  light  considera- 
tion  I  accordingly  ascended,  and  after  an  absence  of  four  or  five 
months,  returned  to  St.  Louis,  witli  two  boats  loaded  with  furs  ai.d  pel- 
try  of  the  company,  placed  under  my  command.  Remaining  at  St.  Louis 
until  the  month  of  November,  I  embarked  for  New  Orleans,  where  I  ar- 
rived in  December  1811.  Here  I  met  with  one  of  the  publishers  of 
this  work,  Mr.  Cramer,  and  proposed  to  him  the  publication  of  the  es- 
pays  before  mentioned,  with  the  journal  of  my  voyage  up  the  Blissou- 
ri ;  to  which  he  assented,  on  condition  that  I  would  extend  it,  and  add 
somethijig  relative  to  the  state  of  Louisiana. 

Sucli  is  the  history  of  the  volume  now  offered  to  the  public,  respect- 
ing which,  I  have  observed  with  regret,  that  expectations  have  been 
excited,  much  beyond  its  real  importance.  I  say  regret,  because  those 
expectations,  will  most  probably  be  disappointed,  if,  instead  of  the  cur- 
sory  observations  of  an  ordinary  traveller,  the  reader  shall  look  for  a 
complete  and  scientific  account  of  Louisiana,  emulating  the  famed  pro- 
ductions of  Oepons,  Molini,  o    Humboldt. 

The  extensive  country  which  constitutes  the  subject  of  these  essays, 
gltkoiigl^  one  of  the  n>ost  interesting  portions  oi  the  aew  world,  api 


[5] 

peart  to  have  been  amon(fst  the  last  in  becnmlnfif  kno\en.  The  Spa>> 
niards,  who  possessed  it  from  1769,  until  after  1800,  cannot  be  said  to 
have  done  any  thingtowards  its  further  discovery.  The  French,  who  were 
first  settlers,  had  made  considerable  progress  in  exploring  it,  but  those 
exploring  parties  originating  principally  with  private  individuals,  un- 
supported by  the  government,  or  any  wealthy  society,  were  consequent' 
ly  neither  sufficiently  extensive  nor  accurate.  It  is  a  singular  fact,  that 
Ko  great  a  portion  of  it,  should  to  this  day  remain  an  entire  blank  on 
tlic  map,  and  that  there  should  be  no  correct  standard  work,  to  refer 
to,  for  knowledge  of  a  country  inhabited  by  Flurcpeans  for  more  than 
one  hundred  years  A  few  writers,  such  as  Charlevoix,  Du  Pratz,  Du» 
mont,  de  la  Harpe,  S(c.  collected  the  materials  furnished  by  a  variety 
of  individuals,  who  passed  over  dificrent  parts  of  it,  and  formed  their 
books  by  joining  to  them  the  observations  muce  by  themselves  ;  but 
they  were  unfortunately  too  ready  to  receive  all  tlie  falseliooiJs  with 
which  they  were  fraught.  In  fact,  but  little  was  accurately  known  of 
this  country,  unlil  it  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  United  States.  Be- 
sides the  observations  of  a  number  of  individuals,  there  have  been  some 
exploring  expeditions  sanctioned  and  equipped  by  the  government; 
these  are  too  well  known  to  require  enumeration.  'Ilic  sources  o'tiie 
Mississippi,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Red  river,  VVa8hita,and  of  White  river, 
are  known  to  the  world  for  the  first  time.  In  the  course  of  the  last  eight 
or  ten  years,  such  a  number  of  authentic  accounts  have  appeared,  that 
the  time  may  be  regarded  as  not  distant,  when  the  geographer  will  be 
able  to  speak  of  Louisiana  with  as  much  certainty,  as  of  any  other  part  of 
the  United  States.  The  materials  for  its  history  have  also  been  augment- 
ed :  a  variety  of  facts,  scattered  through  the  pages  of  writers  almost  ob- 
solete, or  of  transactions  known  but  to  tradition,  have  been  carefu'ly 
collected  pnd  preserved.  I  have  no  higher  aim  in  these  "  Views,"  than 
to  be  considered  one  of  those  who  furnish  materials  for  abler  iiunds. 
Mr.  William  Darby,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  statistical  view 
and  table,  has  been  eng^aged  for  a  number  of  years  in  preparing  an  ela- 
borate work  on  Louisiana.  Possessing  strong  original  genivis,  wiUi  con- 
siderable acquirements,  and  indefatigable  industry,  the  public  may  ex- 
pect something  substantially  useful  in  his  Labors.  He  has  already  al- 
most completed,  from  actual  survey,  a  map  of  the  new  state  ^f  Louisi- 
ana ;  a  work  of  vast  difficulty  and  labor,  from  the  strange  configura- 
tion of  the  country,  being  cut  up,  and  infinitely  diversified,  by  bayoux, 
Bwamps,  lakes,  lagoons,  tind  a  thousand  oiher  objects  calculated  to  im- 
pose difficulties  on  the  undertaking. 

It  has  always  appeared  to  me,  that  the  observations  of  travellers,  if 
made  with  any  tolerable  degree  of  accuracy,  sliouUl  rank  amongst  the 
most  useful  productions,  and  should,  moreover,  be  entitled  to  great  in- 


[  63 

O^tilgence.  AVhat  can  be  more  {xleasing  and  inatructivc  than  the  testimo* 
Djrof  eye  wilnesses,  relu.ive  to  objects  of  the  most  interesting^  nature, 
vhich  \v.  are  precluded  from  Tiaitifig  ouraelvea,  or  than  the  reniurks 
of  intelligent  peritona  on  whit  chances  to  .come  under  their  notice  dur- 
ing their  peregrinations  through  distant  countries  ?  In  the  early  ages  of 
iociety»  travelling  from  one  nation  to  another,  was  almoat  the  only 
mean*. of  acquiring  superior  knowledge, 

Multorumque  homlnum  urbes,  et  mores  cognovit, 

a  ^ise  man  and  a  great  traveller  were  regarded  as  synonymous,  and 
treated  with  equal  respect.  When  in  the  form  of  narrative,  thisspe- 
cies  of  composition  has  all  the  attractions  of  romance,  combined  with 
the  usefulness  of  truth.  I  have  always  perused  the  book  of  travels  with 
peculiar  delight,  no  matter  how  aukward  its  style,  or  humble  the  ad- 
venturer. In  this  kind  of  writing,  the  fidelity  of  truth  is  far  to  be  pre- 
ferred to  the  more  artifice  or  elegance  of  diction.*  It  may  be  said  to  be 
a  species  of  composition  free  alike  to  the  illiterate  and  the  learned,  re- 
quiring no  peculiar  and  appropriate  style ;  demanding  neither  the  dig- 
nified march  of  history,  the  bnlliaucy  of  works  of  the  imagination,  nor 
the  precision  and  regularity  of  tI>ose  which  are  purely  scientific,  yet, 
admitting  with  propriety  something  of  them  all.  Men  of  the  most  com- 
jfxon  acquiiscments  arc  not  excluded,  or  thought  presumptuous  in  at> 
tempting  it,  for  it  may  be  the  fortune  of  such  only,  to  have  witnessed 
facts  of  the  highest  interest,  hr  to  have  passed  through  countries  not 
likely  to  be  visited  by  the  le»ri%od.  Hence  the  various  modes  adopted 
by  travellers,  from  the  regular  ami  systematic  essay,  down  to  the  sim- 
ple diary  or  journal. 

Before  the  reader  decides  iipnn  this  work,  he  must  recollect,  that 
travels  through  countries  little  known,  must  necessarily  be  of  a  differ, 
ent  cast  from  those  in  countries  highly  cultivated,  and  already  describ- 
ed by  innumerable  writers.  Instead  of  amusing  incident,  descriptions 
of  manners  and  customs,  characters  of  distinguished  persons,  political 
and  moral  reflections,  historical  reminescence,  and  a  multitude  of  other 
topics,  the  traveller  has  only  to  describe  the  face  of  nature  in  its  prim- 
itive state,  the  character  of  a  few  wandering  savages,  or  the  situation 
of  settlements  yet  in  their  infancy.  He  that  would  aspire  to  the  high- 
est order  of  travellers  for  having  tra'^ersed  such  a  country,  ought  to  be 


•  The  travels  of  a  Frenchman  are  bedizened  with  conceits  of  the 
fancy,  those  of  an  Englishman  loaded  with  sluggish  prejudice.  I  must 
/>         declare  (perhaps  the  result  of  partiality)  that  such  American  travels 
as  I  have  perused,  have  always  struck  me  as  more  impartial,  and  con- 
taining a  more  perfect  stamp  of  autkenticity  than  either. 


n  the  testiao- 
esting'  nature, 
n  the  rcniarkB 
:ir  notice  clur- 
e  early  «gc»  of 
Imost  the  only 


lonymous,  and 
ative,  thisspe- 
combined  with 

of  travel  8  with 
tumble  the  ad- 
s  far  to  be  pre- 
ly  be  said  to  be 
:hc  learned,  re- 
leither  the  dig- 
nagination,  nar 
'  scientific,  yet^ 
F  the  most  com- 
imptuous  in  at- 
have  witnesied 
h  countries  not 
lodes  adopted 

Avn  to  the  sim- 


a  proficient  in  nalura'.  history ;  to  this  I  miist  confess,  I  have  but  sleu* 
der  pretensions.  Devoted  to  a  profession,  which  my  lord  ('okc,  obser- 
veth,  ••  is  a  jealous  mistress,  and  will  not  wbide  a  rival,"  I  havr  not  been 
able  to  spare  the  time  requisite  for  such  attainment-  It  is  with  regret 
I  reflect,  that  I  have  devoted  so  much  time  to  this  employment,  which 
was  necessarily  withdrawn  from  my  profession,  or  studies  connected 
with  it.  To  become  a  botanisl,  mineralogist,  or  geologist,  requires  long 
and  undivided  attention.  I  have  therefore  been  compelled  to  content 
mysclfwith  admiring  merely  the  face  of  luiture,  without  attcmptingto 
analize,  or  seek  out  her  hidden  character.  I  have  dwelt  as  little  in  po- 
litical  and  statistical  detail,  as  on  the  phenomena  of  nature,  the  coun- 
tries through  whicli  I  paased  affording  bdt  little  of  interest  on  these  to- 
pics. The  reader  will  find  here  little  else,  than  geographical  outlines, 
descriptions  of  the  surface  of  the  country,  the  navigation  of  rivers,  the 
nature  or  quality  of  soils,  the  appearance  of  towns  or  villages,  and 
whatever  else  would  be  likely  to  meet  the  eye  of  a  transient  passenger. 

The  greater  part  of  what  is  here  offered  is  original,  though  it  will 
be  seen  that  I  have  read  what  has  been  written  by  others,  and  occasion- 
ally adopted  their  ideas.  In  .:>rming  a  table  of  the  Indian  nations, 
much  of  my  materials  are  derived  from  Gen.  Clark,  Dr.  Sibly,  and  Pike. 
In  my  observations  on  the  Mississippi,  &c.  the  writings  of  Mr.  EUicot, 
the  late  Sir  William  Dunbar,  and  Dr.  Mease,  furnished  me  with  hints. 

I  now  lay  this  volume  before  the  public,  with  all  the  reverence  and 
awe,  vrith  which  that  tribunal  is  usually  approached,  feeling  consci- 
ous of  the  temerity  of  my  attempt.  It  is  a  tribunal  whose  attention,  in 
the  republic  of  letters,  we  are  all  ent  itled  to  demand,  but  if  we  abuse 
it,  by  exhibiting  what  proves  unworthy  of  that  attention,  we  aro  soon 
consigned  to  merited  aontempt. 


VIEWS 


OP 


LOUISIANA. 


IN  TWO  BOOKS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DISCOVERY)  AMD  VIRST  SETTLBMEHT  OV  LOVISIANAi 


HE  early  history  of  marly  all  the  colonies  planted  by  Eu- 
ropean nations,  on  thig  continent^  presents  us  with  a  series  of 
hardships  and  misfortunes,  encountered  by  the  first  settlers,  and 
of  injudiciofus  management  by  those  entrusted  with  their  super- 
intendence. From  thcne  Louisiana  in  its  first  settlement  was  by 
no  means  exempt,  on  the  contrary  they  were  all  experienced 
here,  m  the  aererest  manner.  It  was  not  until  after  repeated 
failures,  and  the  lapse  of  a  century,  from  the  first  attempt,  *hat 
a  colony  could  take  roct,  and  not  for  half  a  century  more  that 
it  could  flourish.  It  is  intended  in  this  imperfect  sketch,  to  pass 
those  events  in  review,  and  as  far  as  in  the  writer's  power,  to  de- 
Velope  their  causes. 

Thd  Spaniards  from  their  establishments  in  Cuba,  and  ia 
Mexico,  at  an  early  period  became  acquainted  with  the  continent 
lying  opposite  the  island  before  mentioned,  and  had  given  it  the 
name  of  Florida.  Under  ;hts  name,  they  comprehended  and 
claimed,  east  of  the  province  of  Penuco,  indefinitely,  north,  east, 
and  south  ;  and  declared  that  all  the  French  and  English  posses- 
sions in  Amenca,  belonged  to  Florida,  and  were  unjust  usurpar 
tionson  the  dominions  appertaining  to  the  crown  of  Spain.*  They 

•  Kerr  of  Kerrslands  Memoirs,  1727— -History  of  European  Settle- 
ments  an.  1775,  and  Postlethwayte  on  Commerce,  published  in  1745.-^ 
Don  Andres  Gonzales  dc  Boreca. 

B 


10 


VIH\>ti  UK  LUtldlANi 


ii^ 


woroi  howevoii  by  no  mouUH  ihf>  Aiii  ia  uke  {taiMiiKioni  ut  lo 
t)K|iUuu  it.  Tlio  Itbcrul  gill  ul  Popo  Aioxwiuler  ih«  ftinlh,  ut  ull 
litu  lUMi  w(>r^^  Dii^iil  Uu  iU))|UMiu(l  tuHUpiivamiu  iliu  iiuvtiitMiy  ul 
N'Ui'l)  lormHlilicii- 

It  in  ti'uotilmrooiuo  uilvuutut  nivt  in  iho  ImpoH  ol divcev^ring 
ill  tliiM  unux|iUuvtl  rugiunt  kingiionii  ul  liviliaud  Iniliuna,  und 
lii'uil  Uy  \\\M  Mill  i  vbtt  itl'  Uui't««,  penctriauii  ti>U)  ihu  country  nuw 
Ciilluil  1  Aiuitiiuiiui  but  Wtti'o  duploi'ulily  unwiiQcuiiittul    Tiitititi  ml  - 
vontui'iM'ii  Miu  hutior  to  obiuin  lullowtfiH,  luul  Mnl'nlly  ('ii'uulHtoil 
u  tttuiy,  liuitvU  to  ibu  Hiipvikiition  ui'  tbu  tigu,  tlmt  in  ttiiit  cuuntiy, 
lliui'tt  ^niiituil  »  niii'uciilituit  fuuntMiHt  |M)ttti«HHiiig  tbu  duiiiiublo 
i|iiuliU(iH  (if  i-vHturii^(  yoiitiii  ur  ri>iuleriiig  it  |ioi'potUMl  to  liini 
\\\m  itbuiiUI  bu  lio  iVn  tunutti  uu  to  liutbu  liininair  in  itb  vnt  biiutvd 
wulci'««    Tbu  Himiiitib  eNpeilitionH  bml  not  tor  tbtni*  objert  tlip 
tukiiig  |umtiUiiHivin  ul  u  wililoinvHHi  ibinly  pooploil,  by  wunilvrinu 
liuiiMnu.  ul  pupubiting  unit  iinpixiving  id  liut  to  plumlor  tbu  nn' 
livt'tt  ul'  tlio  liquid  uiul  silver  ibuy  wcvo  iiuppuiitiU  to  putnttimt  i  nur 
diU  tbu  wurbli  ov  uvcn  ilwy.  Iiecoino  betiui-  ucuuuintud  witb  llio 
country  in  cuntiiiqucncu  ul'  tbvii'  vHpeiliiiuiiM.    Tuntiii  ilu  Luoui 
IPUH  ibti  Arm  udvunturur.     In  ijii'J)  bu  pvntmmud  I'luiiilu, 
»t  till)  buail  ul'u  liinsiiUui'v^biu  |uirtyt  unienHibly  in  purHuit  uf  iImi 
Vl'urtf  inuntiunud  luuntuini  i'lit  bia  tttuy  wuti  »liurti  bu  dUI  not 
«vun  buibi  u  buti  th<ti  luuivi^ii  c-.mtiiilui ing  bun  uh  tin  invui'vitMMi 
o!^ii»^i)g  biia  wiib  gvuul  i'uruciiy.    riiuu  Puniio,  miuI  nut  b  ui'  nia 
n\t!])  MM  HUi'vived  itftuinud  buuio,  wuin  out  witb  tbu  liunhliipH 
mi8tAb)<^3tl  iu  tbu  UHputUliun.*    In  lAJo,  Viunpioadu  Aylbiiit  lund- 
ed  uiid  i^xpluiud  tbu  iwigbluuabuud  ul'u  livui*  wldt  b  bu  cullud 
tbu  Juurditn,  in  ibivl  pui  t  nl  IMui  id;i  wliiub  i«  now  Huuib  Curoli- 
K^  i  but  bii  iitMy  wu»  not  buig  unil  bin  nuiuuioiiiobuttui  tbun  tbiit 
id'  IHiutio  do  Luoit, ,  A  kw  vtuu  a  idiui'  ibiai  PMinpbiii^  du  Narvu^Mi 
obt;.lned  IVuni  tliu  unipuiur  Cbuiiuii  tbu  tilUi.  iliu  giHfurnnitnt 
of  i*'lui\idM.    NtirvM^n  cuuMtud  idung  t)iu  nurtbuiii  abuiHi  ol  ibo 
gulph  of  MvHicu,  Ittudud  ikCivui'ul  tiniui,  liid  IVui|uvnt  i^unomm- 
tuiH  Miilb  \\\i>  Indiiui^i  wbo  kiilod  nuiny  ulbiit  puiiplutund  utiungtb 
pui'ialivd  inbteiMbly  biniaulhvilliuut  bi^vuig  uvvn  built  m  I'lrt. 


!li»uiry  of  ll«iiO|ioHn  N«ttlcin«nt*i 


|Mai!U\'eRY  ik  8RT  liEMRNt  .*B()OK  I 


It 


HvrhMndos  dv  Hotn,  li«ing;  u(\oi'WMrtli  luutlo  i  a\>iain(\cnrra1 
«)f  Mori(i«,  \n  tho  your  lA.tv)  ut  the  hoail  of  v\^Ui  onuitu  liundrvtl 
iDun  lani)«i)  in  ihii  lounii'y  uiu)  pcmt^iVHiott  u  conttuivinMo  (iii< 
tnnro  inyi  (h«  imerior.  H«i  tunrinuoti hv ^ovt^ial yrurM  wuiuK-viujB^ 
intkunrch  of  (^oit), uf  civilived  Indiwiio,  wn<l  of  minuulou*  fuuii* 
tulnai  in  titw  nt«Ait  liiuo  tto  hus  luuch  l)uruh&t>t)  hy  tiu>  oti(iv(tu, 
MM  party  wh«  divldicil  himI  di»|ivr»u()  in  m\A\\  buiu1»,  thu  ^itnttrr 
\\M\  of  whii'hi  wtfro  noVv'M'  ut^orwtutitt  itvurd  ot, itntl  l^nttUy  do 
S«)io  tdmsolf  diod  on  tito  btiuka  uf  the  MiuniHiiippi.*  'V\w  uidiup- 
py  ii«tio  nf  theto  (tucr.(»iitiv«  i:Kp«dltinn»,  entlt-iily  dittvuttdoil  ad* 
vunturuia  litiiu  uny  further  nttoimpti  uiuU  «»Ubita()mviu«  woro 
t'uiinod  liy  the  l'^tJm•^. 

In  th«  yeur  i.19.1,  Vcnuynui,  anltUiiMn  tiuiriiior,  in  tlie  wr- 
vlco  uf  Fmnotf,  \m\  diicovvrod  l^loridK*  hut  hud  not  uttoiupttid 
*'anyaettIvinout.  TidHdiHcovory wusnotroDowmluphythi^Fivikoh, 
u\s\u^  to  tho  nimokt  toitd  ihattt-ntioit  to  Amvrira,  durinu  tli(} 
irouhlod reignit of  Frum  in  11,  und of  Ci  ,)rle»  IX.  The  coUhitaM 
Coli^nyi  detii^UH  id'ol)!utnit«g  froiulo^ii  of  religiout  wni-«hip,^n- 
tho  por«cicuted  9mc\  to  whirli  ho  t)D|«in|p«d|  rnncuiwd  the  idoM  of 
going  in  tkwTi'h  of  th^  r.ounti7  di«(u)Vi*rtid  Ity  Vvrtticunii  und  lif 
pluntingM  colony  of  prototttunlHt  u  itvhetne  mthor  onroiinkgtQd  hy 
the  king  wim  was  deHiitnot  of  i  Imtiin^  oflT  tho  lhig<inutH.  He  unit 
IdMryouponthMt  pnrt  of  Moridui  whirii  Veritt«vUd,h«ddt)K(  lihud 
AH  ino«i  kuituldo  ivuMlto  oMaldiiihtnont  of  Aioirnyi  for  hvitideu 
\\w  luildnvHM  M'  tht)  climutei  Knd  tlie  fnHiliiy  o!  tlio  koil,  ho  ftin< 
«Mtid  iho  Frcnoi)  would  tind  no  tmo  todiiputu  th«ir tight  or  rvon 
to  trouidu  then<!.  Jiun  d«  Hilwut  l)t>in»^  choion  hy  tho  Hdndrtd 
to  undortukw  tho  eitpeditinni  net  ofTtho  IHth  td  Ktshrnury  U(t9. 
Uv  l\r»t  totnhedut  u  pUio  which  l\«  oulN»d  <Vt/»c  /'V<i«ir«<«,  iitHHit 
tht>  au",  id  N.  lut-  und  turning  to  th«  ri)^ht  \w  |Hiri  civvd  m  nhort 
linn?  ut\or,  u  river  which  ho  nunted  la  Hii/rrct/rji  Drn^int^  tuit 

*  In (hv  Moonunt  «f  dun  tr*|iiikll!iQit  hy  M0rr«v«i  it  i«  mrniimiad  th«t  d* 
H«in>ln  iSi\  iio«itth?(l  MuviU«,Hii  lndiAntuuM viU'Utniul  \«  ttli  wd  hUm  \ittt\U 
llvi  ItHd  Mtuuigrtgi-mmu  (Ikrto  lit  >vluoU  'J(H)0  mtUu^a  \u-rt>  kdUui  «nd  Si 
H;iMi)iiird«,  wlui  mIbh  l(i»t  4.)  humisa  An  hidun  vilUDia  iume«l  dhii ««.« 
VI  MM  U\m\\.  Ht)«  \nwV'  Nini.  1  v«d  Dl  '>-A  ii'MdiiitmprvvHdrd  Hmiiii(fat  itm 
tiiikkHaki*  IndUnn  uf  dmii- litiviiiK  kUin  tlia  Hint  ^Ui(«  in«ii  thry  h«tt 
^vor  Dii^rn—tliiM  might  \\\\\v  bn^nout  oi'dv  tiolo'«ptirtii>ji. 


48 


VIEWS  OP  LOUISIANA. 


i,.i 


did  not  enter.  PursuiDg  this  course,  at  the  distance  of  Hfteen 
leai^ues  he  discovered  anotlier  river  and  entered  it  on  the  first  oi' 
May,  from  which  circamstance  he  gave  it  the  name  of  la  riviere 
de  Mai.  Here  he  found  a  great  number  of  savages,  by  whom, 
from  that  coneiliatnrv  policy^  which  the  French  have  so  suc- 
cessfully pursued  towards  these  people,  he  was  well  received : 
reciprocal  presents  were  made,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of 
the  Indians.  But  having  in  view  the  river  Jourdan,  he  has- 
tened his  departure  ixav^  this  place,  but  not  without  having 
£rst  erected  a  pillar  on  which  were  engraven  the  arms  of 
France,  and  taking  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of 
the  king  and  of  the  admiral :  a  vain  and  idle  ceremony.  He  after- 
wards gave  to  the  rivers  which  he  successively  discovered  for 
sixty  leagues,  the  names  of  French  rivers,  and  at  length  cast  an- 
chor in  what  be  supposed  the  Jourdan,  but  which  was  called  af- 
terwards by  the  Spaniard.,,  St.  CruT,  and  by  the  natives  Shawa- 
no,* at  present  Savana.  Rihaut  at  this  place  built  a  fort  which  he 
called  Fort  Charles;  the  Indians  manifested  the  greatest  friend- 
ship. Leaving  here  the  persons  who  had  accompanied  him 
for  ihe  purpose  of  establishing  a  colony,  he  took  his  depar- 
ture. Unfortunately  the  direction  and  government  of  it,  were  re- 
signed to  a  person  no  ways  capable.  He  soon  manifested  great,  im- 
prudence, and  the  most  ferocious  severity.  The  colony  in  a 
^hort  time,  suffered  severely  from  famine,  and  a  complication  of 
miseries:  and  were  at  length  compelled  to  leave  the  country  and 
endeavor  to  regain  their  native  land,  in  a  vessel  built  by  them 
under  the  most  discouraging  circumstances. 

It  is  indeed  strange,  how  men  can  be  induced  voluntarily  to 
tear  themselves  from  the  bosoni  of  a  refined  and  civilised  socie- 
ty, retire  to  a  wilderness  and  become  the  neighbours  of  savages. 
But  the  sweet  and  cheering  hope  of  regaining  their  native  soil,  af- 
ter having  acquired  a  comnetency,  has  been  found  never  to  aba.i> 
don  the  emigrants  from  France*.  Even  the  powerful  incentive  of 
religious  freedom,  was  not  sufficient  alone.  The  belief  tliat  evo 


\  ;■  .1 


'li! 


•  The  Shawanese  Indians  were  originally  from  Ce'irieria;  they  cxchang* 
ed  their  country  with  the  Cherokees  for  that  on  the  Cumberland  river, 
fVom  whence  they  were  aftei  w^ds  driven  by  the  same  people  across  the 
Ohio. 


DISCOVERY  h  SETTLEMENT—BOOK  I. 


U 


ry  part  of  America  was  equally  rich  in  mines  of  precious  metals, 
will  account  both  for  the  readiness  with  which  adventurers,  em- 
barked in  colonizing  enterprises,  and  the  ill  success  of  the  first 
attempts;  for  instead  of  cultivating  the  earth,  the  greatc  part 
of  their  time  was  spent  in  running  about  in  search  of  gold  ant) 
silver. 

The  admiral,  not  discouraged  by  the  failure  of  this  attempt^ 
soon  succeeded  in  preparing  another  armament,  consisting  of 
three  vessels  provided  with  every  thing  which  might  be  requir- 
ed by  a  young  colosy,  and  gave  the  command  lo  Rene  dc  Lau- 
dame  re.  Fifty  thousand  crowns  were  advanced  to  this  expedi- 
tion by  the  king.  Several  gentlemen  of  fortune,  and  young  per- 
sons of  family  were  desirous  of  making  this  voyage  at  their  own 
expense ;  and  there  were  joined  to  it  some  detachments  of  sol- 
diers chosen  from  among  the  veteran  corps.  On  the  26th  of 
June  1564,  he  entered  the  Dauphin  river,  but  did  not  land,  to 
the  great  regret  of  the  Indians  who  appeared  disposed  to  receive 
them  in  the  most  friendly  manner.  He  continued  his  course  to 
the  May  river  where  he  landed,  ascended  some  distance,  and, 
being  well  received  by  the  natives,  commenced  an  establishment. 
Notwithstanding  all  these  advantages,  and  fluttering  auspices, 
the  same  fute  attended  this  colony  as  the  iirst.  The  colonists 
were  soon  carried  away  by  the  delusion  of  searching  after  gold. 
This  became  almost  a  mania,  and  was  taken  advantage  of  by  a 
neighbouring  Paraousti,  who  succeeded  in  drawing  them  into 
a  war  with  his  enemies,  a  powerful  tribe.  This  chief  perceiving 
the  thirst  after  gold  and  silver  which  prevailed,  exhibited  some 
pieces  of  silver,  and  informed  that  he  had  procured  them  from 
his  enemies,  who  had  the  same  metal  in  abundance.  The  colony 
now  began  to  ieel  the  usual  calamities,  from  dissention,  famine 
from  neglect  of  tiliage,  and  at  the  same  time  an  Indian  war  which 
they  had  unjustly  provoked.  In  this  state  they  at  length  came 
to  the  rcsolucion  of  re-embarking,  when  of  a  sudden,  to  the  gen- 
era! si'rpi'ise,  seven  brigantines,  appeared  in  the  river.  It  prov- 
ed to  be  Ribaut  who  had  brought  su '.  -lors  to  the  colony. 

About  this  time  the  attempt  of  France  to  colonize  Florida,  be- 
came known  in  Spain,  who  claimed  the  country  in  virtue  of  the 
Pope's  bull,  and  the  particular  discoveries  of  Pontio  de  Leon  and 


I 

ij 


mi  !>' 


14 


yiEvrs  OFxomsiANA. 


the  other  adventurers.  Pedro  de  Menendez,  was  immediately 
despatched  by  that  monarchy  to  cstabHsh  a  colony  and  to  drive 
aWuy  the  French.  The  armament*  might  be  considered  for  that 
period,  and  for  the  occasion,  a  formidable  one,  consisting  of  ten 
vessels  and  upwardsof  two  thousand  men.  Before  he  could  r«aoh 
the  place  of  his  destination,  a  storm  arose,  which  dispersed  and 
scattered  his  ships,  so  that  he  only  arrived  with  five.  These  were 
attacked  by  some  English  vessels  then  at  the  mouth  of  the  riveri 
and  compelled  to  (all  down  to  the  Dauphui  rWer,  which  they 
.entered,  giving  it  the  name  of  St.  Augustin ;  here  they  commen- 
ced an  establishment.  In  the  mean  while  Ribaut,  contrary  to  the 
advice  of  his  officers,  embarked  nearly  all  his  force,  in  order  to 
attack  and  destroy  the  Spanish  fleet,  and  left  but  sixty  or  seventy 
xnen  in  his  fort.*  Ribaut  could  only  come  in  sight  of  the  Spa- 
niards when  a  dreadful  tempest  drove  him  off  the  coast.  The 
Spanish  commander,  rightly  conjecturing  that  the  greaiter  part 
of  the  garrison  had  been  embarked  on  this  occasion,  resolved  to 
inarch  over  by  land  and  storm  the  fort  This  he  did  in  five  days 
after  his  discovering  the  English  squadron,  and  sttoceeded  com- 
pletely, meeting  in  fact  with  but  little  or  no  resistance :  Mons. 
Laudamere  and  a  few  soldiers  only  escaped.  This  achievmeut 
hpnoi'ahle  in  -its  commencement,  was  however  wound  up  by  one 
of  those  acts  of  barbarity,  which  causes  humanity  to  shudder  even 
when  related  of  the  most  ferocious  savages,  and  which  stamps 
infamy  and  shame  on  civilized  men }  the  prisoners  who  surren- 
dered, and  the  miserable  fugitives,  who  were  afterwards  caught, 
were  hung  upon  a  tree,  on  which  was  suspended  this  sentence, 
worthy  of  that  bigotry,  "  whose  forces  are  congregated  from  the 
abysses  of  hell :"  not  as  frencumbn,  but  as  heretics  amp 

ENEMIES  OF  GOD. 

Menendez,  giving  the  name  of  St.  Matteo,  to  the  fort  he  had 
taken,  left  a  garrison  in  it,  and  returned  to  St.  Augustin.  Ribaut  at 
the  same  time  paid  dearly  for  his  imprudence,  being  ship-wreck- 
ed on  the  Bahama  banks,  he  attempted  with  the  remainder  of  his 
forces  to  regain  tl  >  fort  by  land.  Having  approached  it  after  in- 
credible hardships,  he  learned  that  it  was  in  the  possession  of 
the  Spaniards.  One  of  his  officers  was  sent  with  proposals^  (Uij) 

*  It  had  been  called  Fort  Charles. 


DISCOVERY  8e  SETTLEMENT— BOOK  I. 


I? 


s  immediately 
y  and  to  drive 
idered  for  that 
insisting  of  ten 
he  could  reach 
I  dispersed  and 
e.  These  were 
ith  of  the  river, 
rer,  which  they 
B  they  cemmen- 
,  contrary  to  the 
»rce,  in  order  to 
sixty  or  seventy 
ight  of  the  Spa- 
the  coast.    The 
the  greater  part 
ision,  resolved  to 
»e  did  in  five  days 
swocccied  cem- 
>siattaicet  Mens. 
This  achievment 
wound  up  by  one 
to  shudder  even 
»d  which  stamps 
lers  who  surren- 
fterwards  caught, 
ied  this  sentence, 
•regated  from  the 

S  HERETICS  AMO 


it  was  solemnly  agreed  on  both  sides,  that  the  commander  of  the 
fort,  should  supply  them  with  a  vessel  to  return  to  France ;  but: 
he  no  sooner  got  these  uiTibrtunate  pe(^le  in  his  power,  tlian  re- 
gardless of  humanity  and  justice,  he  caused  them  to  be  barbar 
rously  butchered. 

Such  is  the  tragie  (ate  of  these  early  coloniies ;  the  story  '» 
related  by  Charlevoix,  with  minute  detail,  in  his  loose  and  ram- 
bling way.  This  writer  expresses  the  strongest  indignation  a': 
the  abominable  and  atrocious  conduct  of  the  Spaniards,  and  do- 
nies  in  the  strongest  terms  that  Spain  ever  had  any  just- 
right  to  this  country. 

France  and  Spain  were  at  this  moment  in  profound  peace> 
nor  does  this  outrage,  seem  in  the  least  to  have  excited  the  in<^ 
dignation  of  the  former,  owing  to  the  circumstance  of  the  unfor- 
tunate victims  having  been  protestants  and  heretics.  But  it  was- 
left  to  a  private  gentleman,  to  avenge  the  indignity  ^fRercdto  his 
country,  and  to  chastise  the  barbarous  usurpers  of  Florida.  Thia 
was  the  Chevalier  de  Gourgues  a  man  who  in  those  times  had 
distinguished  himself  in  various  countries  for  that  romantic  va* 
lour,  which  vras  then  so  highly  esteemed ;  the  indignation  which 
he  felt  for  the  insuk  offered  his  country  was  heightened  by  » 
setise  of  personal  wrongs,  having  been  for  miuiy  years  confined 
in  Spanish  prisons.  Under  pretence  of  forming  an  expedition  to 
Africa,  he  raised  at  his  own  expeRse  and  with  the  assistance  of 
his  friends,  a  considerable  armament  and  steered  for  Florida.  On 
his  arrival  he  was  joined  by  the  Indians  who  had  become  greatly 
dissatisfied  with  the  Spaniards,  stormed  St.  Mattee,  and  carri- 
ed it  with  little  difficulty.  The  greater  part  of  the  garrison  was 
killed  in  the  assault,  the  remainder  were  taken  to  the  same  rrce 
on  which  the  French  had  been  hanged,  and  in  the  execution  of 
a  severe  but  not  unjust  retaliation,  served  in  the  same  manner,, 
the  former  inscription  being  replaced  by  one  to  this  effect — not 

AS  SPANIARDS,  BUT  AS  MURDEliKRS  AND  CUT-THKOATS.  HdrVing. 

destroyed  the  fort,  and  completed  the  ol)ject  oi  his  expedition^' 
he  soon  after  embarked  f  St.  Augustin  was  considered  as  too 
formidable  for  his  party. 

The  attention  of  France  seems  to  have  been  altogether  tvith- 
drawn  from  this  quarter  of  the  continent,  during  an  iptervyil  of 


0 


VIEWS  OP  LOtnSIANA. 


i!' 


many  years :  beiwg  at  this  time  chiefly  occupied  with  her  sctllc- 
mcnta  in  Canada,  which  had  begun  to  flourish.  St.  Augustin 
and  all  Florida  were  about  the  same  tima  abandoned  by  the  Spa- 
niards. 

About  the  year  1671,  it  was  known  in  Canada,  from  the  in- 
formation of  Indians,  that  there  was  a  great  river  to  the  west  of 
New  France,  which  neither  flowed  to  the  east  nor  to  the  north.* 
It  was  thought,  it  must  either  discharge  itself  into  the  gulph  of 
Mexico  or  into  the  south  sea ;  and  it  therefore  became  a  matter 
of  importance  that  this  should  be  ascertained. 

Frontenac  the  governor  of  Canada,  accordingly  sent  the 
priest  Marquette,  with  a  trader  mimed  Joliet,  accompanied  by 
three  or  four  men  to  explore  this  river.  These  persons  ascend- 
ed the  river  of  the  Foxes,  crossed  to  the  Ouisconsing,  Whi.Mi 
they  descended  to  the  Mississippi.  They  sailed  down  this  river 
discovering  some  considerable  tributary  streams,  the  chief  of 
which,  the  celebrated  Missouri,  was  named  by  the  Indians  Pe- 
kUanoni.  A  few  leagues  below  it,  they  found  three  large  Indian 
villages  of  Illinoisf 

Little  was  done  towards  the  further  discovery  of  this  region) 
until  it  was  undertaken  by  the  enterprising  La  Salle.  This  gen- 
tleman having  descended  the  Mississippi  in  company  with  the 
Chevatier  Tonti,  discovered  the  mouth  of  the  river,  returned 
with  a  fixed  resolution  of  attempting  farther  discoveries,  and  of 
establishing  a  cokny.  He  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  considerable 
force  from  the  king  of  France  und  about  the  year*  1684,  set  sail 
from  h  Pochelle.  But  according  to  Charlevoix,  from  an  unfortu- 
nate severity  of  temper  which  often  produced  acts  very  ill-timed, 
and  from  an  over- weening  confidence  in  his  own  abilities  and 
resources,  which  led  him^  to  treat  the  opinions  of  others  with 


Charlevoix. 


\\ 


]  I 


:', 


/) 


t  The  decrease  of  these  people  is  astonishingly  great.  The  fllinois  in 
tlie  recollection  of  the  whites  could  bring  eight  or  ten  thousand  warriors 
into  the  field.  Shortly  after  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  a  missiona- 
'ry  who  went  to  establish  himself  amongst  the  Miamics,  found  three 
thousand  warriors  preparing  for  a  war  party.  The  Onlogainies  were 
reckoned  at  a  thousand  families. 


bisCoVEfeY  &  SETTLEMENf.—Bbok  h 


with  her  sclUc- 

St.  Augiistln 

ted  by  the  Spa* 

B,  from  the  in- 
r  to  the  vf  est  <rf 
p  to  the  north.* 
ito  the  gulph  of 
lecame  a  matter 

ingly  sent  the 
uccompanied  by 
persons  ascend- 
aconsing,  whi:li 
I  down  this  river 
ims,  the  chief  of 
the  Indians  Pe- 
iree  large  Indian 

ry  of  this  region, 
alle.  Thisgen- 
impany  with  the 
river,  returned 

iscoveries,  and  of , 
g  a  considerable 

|ear  1684,  set  sail 
from  an  unfortu- 
ts  very  ill-timed, 
ivrn  abilities  und 
of  others  with 


Ircat.  ThetlUnoisin 

i  thousand  warriors 

Isissippi,  a  rtisftiona* 

lamies,  fowffd  three 

Onlogamies  were 


bdntempt,  he  soon  became  the  object  of  dislike  to  all.  Thi&  wan 
the  caase  of  his  tiltintate  failure.  He  parsed  by  thb  nlouth  of  the 
river  which  he  sought,  thbugh  it  wus  sfeen  !>y  every  jJerson  on 
board  the  ships ;  and  persisted  wfth  such  bbstinaty  that  he  would 
not  even  listen  to  proposals,  of  going  with  a  boat  to  examine.  It 
^eems  that  from  theoretic  notions  he  had  placed  it  further  south. 
He  arrived  at  the  bay  of  St.  Bernard,  and  noW  discovered  his  er^ 
ror,  but  too  late,  for  the  haVal  coihmander,  becaitie  as  bbstinate 
as  himsrelf,  positively  refused  to  return,  and  set  him  on  shore 
wit  mil  hijs  men  and  equipments.  La  Salle,  biiilt  a  fort  at  this 
place,  and  irt  a  Short  time  afterWards  set  out  for  the  Mississippi, 
but  was  assassinated  by  his  Own  people,  bbfore  he  cOuld  reach  it. 
His  whole  company,  with  the  eitception  of  three  or  four  persons 
who  reached  Canada,  finally  perished',  being  either  destroyed  by 
tlie  Indians  Or  taken  prisoners  by  the  Spaniards  and  condemned 
to  the  mines. 

The  colonisation  of  the  Mississippi  was  not  abandoned  In 
the  year  1698,  Mons.  D'Iberville,  a  gentleman  of  considerable 
note  in  his  day,  as  a  naval  commander  and  intrepid  adventurer, 
Was  sent  ^ith  twO  ship^  in  company  with  M.  Chateaumorand  to 
explore  and  settle  the  nouth  of  that  mighty  river.  In  1699,  he 
arrived  at  the  bay  of  Pensacola,  where  three  hundred  Spuniardii 
had  lately  landed,  having  been  sent  from  Vera  Cruz,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  forming  u  bOlony.  D'Iberville  sent  to  them  to  reqUeist 
permission  to  Abater,  but  was  refUsed. 

Continuing  his  route,  he  entered  the  Mobile,  Which  at  that 
time  aifdrded  a  fine  harbor,  but  which  Was  afterivards  choked 
Up  by  sand  dVirihg  a  tempest.  The  first  place  at  which  he  land- 
ed was  an  island,  LUate  de  Maa^ccte  (so  nahned  from  the  njangled 
bodies  of  Indians  which  first  struck  his  sight,  apparently  butch- 
ered in  a  wanton  manner,)  but  ^hich  was  afterwards  called  the 
IMe  of  DaUphin;  D'Iberville  from  this  island  proceeded  to  the 
ihain  land,  and  afterwards,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  his  men, 
to  the  Mi3sissi{)pi ;  which  being  discovered,  he  retimed  to  his 
vessels,  entered  and  ascended  the  river  a  considerable  distance, 
ahd  erected  a  fort.  He  afterwards  ascended  as  far  as  the  Nat- 
chez, with  which  place  he  was  so  much  pleased,  that  he  conceiv- 
ed the  idea  of  building;  a  city  there,  to  be  named  Rosali 

c 


IS 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


The  Misbis&ippi  was  at  this  time  calleu  St.  Louis,  the  name 
given  to  it  by  La  Salle,  but  the  country  on  both  sides  of  it  was 
still  known  by  the  name  ofFloinda;  D'lbcrvilic  was  the  first  to 
change  it,  to  tliat  of  Louisiana. 

About  this  period  two  English  vessels  arrived  in  search  of 
the  Mississippi,  induced  by  the  glowing  descriptions  of  Father 
j^icnnepin,  who  had  ascended,  or  pretended  to  have  ascended, 
this  river  to  its  source.  One  of  these  vessels  entered  the  river 
but  did  not  attempt  to  land,  or  form  any  settlement.  It  appeared 
that  this  country  was-also  claimed  by  Britaii),  from  the  discovc* 
vies  of  Sebastian  Cabot,  who  sailed  along  the  coast,  without  land- 
ing any  where,  and  also  by  another  title  even  more  absurd  than 
the  Pope's  bull,  to  wit, /n  virtue  of  her  own  Charteva.*  Thus  had 
our  in&nt  French  colony  to  contend  with  two  great  powers,  one 
jealous  of  supposed  encroachments,  and  the  other  envious  of  any 
new  scheme  of  colonization  on  this  continent. 

M.  D'lberville  left  Louisiana  in  1700;  the  colony  was  very 
inconsiderable  and  far  from  advancing  rapidly.  The  principal 
settlement  was  at  the  Isle  o£  Dauphb,  noway  suited  to  the  pur- 
pose. It,  however,  still  continued  to  live  until  the  year  17 13^ 
receiving  occasional  supplies  from  France  and  maintaining  a 
good  undepstanding  with  the  Spanish  colony  of  Pensacola;  they 
seem  to  have  forgotten  former  animosities  and  frequently 
rendered  each  other  mutual  assistance.  The  Indians  were  also 
conciliated  and  lived  in  friendship  with  the  colonists.  In  this 
yean*  the  commerce  and  government  of  Louisiana,  was  granted 
to  Crosat  who  had  two  objects  in  view,  the  discovery  of  mines 
in  the  Illinois,  and  the  trade  with  Mexico.  In  both  these  he 
completely  failed.  About  this  time  the  Natchez  first  began 
to  display  that  enmity  to  the  French,  (occasioned  perhaps  by  the 
injudicious  conduct  of  the  officers  who  commanded  the  difierent 
posts  within  the  country)  which  afterwards  proved  so  fatal  ta 
themselves.  The  gold  and  silver  mines  of  the  Illinois  could  not 
be  discovered ;  and  St.  Deny s,  an  active  and  enterprising  indivi* 


*  See  Marshall's  life  of- Washington  and  Bozman's  History  of  M^r 
ryland. 


DISCOVeUY  k  8ETTLEMKNT.— BOOK  T. 


if 


<iaal  who  had  been  sent  by  land  to  obtain  permission  of  trading; 
from  tlie  viceroy,  returned  without  success.  St.  Dcnys  was  af» 
terv^ards  despatched  to  build  a  fort  at  the  Natchitoches,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  Spaniards  from  encroaching  in  that  quarter*. 
About  the  same  time  they  made  a  settlement  ut  the  Assinais.* ' 

Crosat  not  obtaining  those  profits,  from  his  grant  of  the  ex- 
clusive trade  of  Louisiana  which  w-erc  expected,  gave  up  his  pri- 
vilege to  the  king  in  1717,  before  the  term  of  its  duration  had 
expired.  The  fanwus  company  of  Liwr,  had  been  formed,  which 
by  degrees  engrossed  the  whole  commerce  within  and  without 
the  kingdom  of  Fnncc ;  this  company  tmder  the  name  of  •*  the 
Company  of  the  Indies,*'  took  possession  of  Louisiana,  and  ap* 
pointed  Mons.  Bienville  governor  of  the  colony.  This  gentle- 
man was  welcomed  at  the  Isle  of  Dauphin  by  the  deputies  of 
twenty-five  Indian  nations ;  he  commenced  an  establishment  but 
had  been  here  but  a  short  time  when  a  hurricane  completely  clos- 
«d  up  the  port.  M.  Bienville,  then  cbose  the  position,  where  the 
city  of  New  Orleans  now  ftands,  and  nearly  ail  the  settlers  of 
the  Isle  of  Dauphin  removed  to  Beloxi.f 

In  1719,  war  broke  out  between  France  and  Spain;  and  put 
an  end  to  the  friendly  inteix:our8e  which  had  existed  between 
the  two  colonies.  Pensacola  was  taken;  the  company  having 
seized  the  opportunity  «f  the  breach  between  Uie  two  nations,  of 
making  itself  master  of  the  only  port,  on  all  the  northern  coast 
of  Florida,  from  the  Bahama  banks  to  the  Mississippi.  The  Spa- 
niards,  after  this  event)  nwrtified  and  chagrined  at  the  losS)  made 
great  preparations  for  retaking  the  place,  and  for  the  total  des- 
truction of  the  French  colony.  They  svcceeded  in  retaking  Pen- 
sacola but  in  their  attack  on  the  Isle  of  Dauphin  were  repulsed ; 
shortly  after  which,  a  squadron  under  the  command  of  M. 
Cham  plain,  made  its  appearance,  and  the  «iege  of  Pensacola  was 
once  more  undertaken.  Bienville  was  ordered  to  come  in  a  sloop, 
with  the  soldiers  and  volunteers  of  the  Company,  to  the  river 
Perdido,  in  order  to  meet  and  unite  with  their  Indian  allies  who 


,'s  History  of  Ma? 


•  According  to  La  Harpe  even  this  settlement  was  made  bySt.  Denys, 
who  brought  the  Spaniards  from  the  interior  for  the  purpose. 

t  Charlevoix— Du  Pratz— Postlethwane. 


('  Til' 


Wr 


VlfiVVS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


>v  ere  there  ready  to  join  thein>  The  fort  was  invested  by  soa  autt 
land,  and  in  a  shprt  time  conptpelleU  to  Jiurrcndcr  at  discretion. 
In  the  year  1731,  peace  was  concluded  i>etwucn  the  two  pow* 
ers ;  one  of  the  artipies  ojT  the  trei^ty  was  the  restoration  of  Pcn« 
««coIa:  abQUt  the  twrne  time  the  council  genei^al  ordered  the  csr 
tablishmcnts  of  the  Qjuloxi,  to  be  ren\o,ved  to  New  Orleand.  At 
th^s  period  violent  dissentions  prevailed  in  the  colony  ',  ^  great 
j^ropQriion  of  the  eolonitta  were  perHons  of  the  n^ost  worthless 
and  despici^ble  class;  these  dissentiona.  were  in  son>e  measure 
fomented  by  the  English  o(  Carolina,^  wlji^o  we^e  at  the  san^e  time 
in  the  habit  oji  exciting  th,e  Indian  nutioni.     Fortunately  for  the 
f  rench  the  Choctijiws  then  the  Qtost  powerful  nation  were  gene- 
rally (aithful  to  them ;  th^sf  pcpplt:  rapre  than  once  saved  the  in- 
:l(snt  cplony  of  (^ouisiana  (ro\n  tpta^  destvuptictfi.  Thi^  was  parti- 
cplarly  shewn  ip  the  wars  with  ^hp  Nutphe^.    In  the  your  172d 
in  consequence  of  a  plot  fonned  with  great  art  and  finesse,  for 
the  i^enei^al  massacve  pf  the  whites,  the  colony  narrowly  escaped 
destruption ;  the  settlempnts  at  Natchea;  and  at  the  Yatoo  were 
entirely  destroyed.*   The  dispoyery  was  made  by  the  mother  of 
the  principal  Sun,  or  chief,  who  de^ye>4  and  '\n  a  g^oat  ineasurc 
frustrated  its  execution.  The  mpde  agrped  on  by  the  motions  in 
the  plot,  and  whp  were  at  adistanpe  frpn^  each  qtlter,  in  different 
parts  of  the  colony,  ii>  orde^  to.  secure  ca^T\ccrtio  striktpg  the  blow 
on  the  same  day,  was  a  bundle  of  rod^  of  the  qan^e  number,  de- 
posited with  pach.    A  rod  was  to  be  taken  (ron^  the  b^undle  each 
day,  ancj  whep  thpi^e  should  remain  but  one,  pn  that  day  the  mas- 
sacre was  to  tpke  place.  The  woman  just  piefitioned,  drew  out 
several  rods,  and  in  thi^  n^ianner  hastened  the  attapk  by  the 
Natchez;  n  few  who  cscappd  gave  thp  intelUgenpe  at\d  saved  the 
rest  of  the  colony.  T^®  Ind^ns  rc^se,  t^ut  it  ^as  tpo  late,  the  co- 
lonists were  on  their  guard,  find  the  Chqctaw^,  came  forward  with 
alacrity  in  their  defence.  The  settlen^ents  oi^  the  Mpbile  owcc^ 
their  preservation  ef|pL|rely  to,  thpse  people. 

M.  Perier,  who  sucpeeded  Qienyille  as  gpyeri^pr,  prepared 
to  take  vengeance;  he  marched  to  the  Natchez,  with  seven  hun- 
dred Chocta\ys»  joined  to  his  own  (prces.  He  defeated  one  of  th<;ir 

*  See  a  minute  account  of  this  alfair  in  Du  Pratz. 


DISCOVEJIY  k  SETTLEMENT— BOOK  I. 


3i 


parties  before  his  arrival  at  their  town.  The  Nutchez  were  shut 
up  in  two  forts,  constructed  after  their  own  manner,  and  defend* 
ed  tiicmselvcs  with  great  obstinacy^,  holding  out  for  upwards  of  a 
month,  notwithstandiiig  that  seven  pieces  of  cannon  were  brought 
against  them.  The  principal  cause  of  this  delay,  however,  wan 
the  number  cf  prisoners  in  the  possession  of  the  besieged  ;  it  was 
justly  feared  that  should  they  be  driven  to  extremity,  these  might 
be  butchered.  The  forts  at  length  surrendered,  but  on  favor- 
pble  terms ;  delivering  up  their  prisoners  and  giving  hostages 
£6r  their  future  good  conduct. 

Several  writers  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  the  Indiana 
were  never  in  the  habit  of  fortifying  ;  but  the  detail  of  the  fore« 
going  siege,  minutely  given  by  Charlevoix  and  others,  sufiici* 
ontly  refute  the  idea.  The  approaches  were  made  in  the  usual 
forms,  and  in  tlie  course  of  the  siege  there  were  frequent  sor- 
ties. The  remains  of  Indian  fortifications  seen  throughout  the 
western  country,  have  given  rise  to  strange  conjectures,  and 
have  been  supposed  to  appertain  to  a  period  extremely  remote ; 
but  it  is  a  fact  well  Iwown,  that  in  some  of  them  the  remains  of 
palisadoes  were  found  by  the  first  settlers. 

The  Natchez  were  neither  reconciled  nor  induced  to  rclin* 
quish  their  hostile  designs.  In  1731,  it  was  found  necessary  to 
raise  another  army  of  whites  and  Indian  auxiliaries,  with  the  in« 
tention  of  putting  an  end  for  the  future  to  all  apprehensions  from 
this  troublesome  nation.  Under  the  command  of  M.  Perier,  this 
army  aspended  Red  river,  and  afterwards  Black  river  its  tributary 
stream,  to  the  place  where  the  Natchez  had  fortified  themselves 
in  the  greatest  force.  The  siege  was  commenced  on  the  SOth 
of  January;  the  trench  was  opened  and  all  the  different  works  of 
the  besiegers  begun,  and  advanced  apace  during  the  rest  of  the 
day,  and  the  whole  of  the  night.  The  day  following,  the  mortars 
and  all  tilings  necessary  for  the  attack,  were  brought  on  shore. 
Some  bombs  were  thrown,  which  fell  in  the  fort.  The  besieged 
made  a  sortie,  killed  a  Frenchman  and  a  negro  but  were  repul- 
sed. On  the  22d,  bombs  were  thrown  during  the  whole  day  but 
produced  no  great  effect,  and  the  besieged  wounded  two  sol- 
diers.  On  the  24th,  they  hoisted  a  white  flag;  M.  Perier  at  the 
^pip  time  caused  o^e  to  be  hoisted  at  the  head  of  a  mast ;  a  short 


n 


V1BW8  OP  LOUISIANA. 


!| 


time  after,  an  Indian  was  seen  advancing  with  «  calumet  in  each 
liand.  He  brought  proposals  of  peace,  and  offered  on  the  part  of 
his  chief  to  return  the  prisoners  and  negroes  in  their  possession. 
Terms  of  any  kind  would  not  be  attended  to  unless  the  chief 
came  in  person ;  this  the  Indian  declared  could  not  take  place,  but 
observed  to  M.  Pcrier,  if  he  would  advance  to  the  corner  of  his 
entrenchment,  the  great  chief  would  come  to  tli6  end  of  his  Fort. 
The  Indian  was  dismissed  with  the  message  to  his  chief,  that  if 
the  prisoners  and  negroes  were  delivered  up,  the  general  would 
then  declare  his  further  determination.  These  being  brought 
and  dtlirercd  to  M.  Pertcr,  he  declared  that  unless  the  great 
chief  came  to  him  in  person  he  would  continue  the  siege,  and 
deny  all  quarter.  The  chiefs  finally  agreed  to  surrender,  and 
with  them  the  greater  part  of  the  people ;  the  remaindtsr  wIiq  re- 
fused to  give  themselves  up  found  means  during  some  very  hea- 
vy rains  to  escape  and  join  the  rest  of  the  nation.  About  two 
hundred  were  fortified  some  distance  un  the  Red  river,  but  were 
attacked  and  destroyed  by  St.  Denys.  Titdse  that  fell  into  the 
hands  of  tlie  French  were  disposed  of  as  slaves  ;  a  thing  very 
unusual  in  their  conduct  towards  thc:  Indians,  \rhich  has  been 
marked  with  a  greater  degree  of  kindness  than  perhaps  that  of 
any  of  the  European  nations,  but  which  on  this  occasion,  nuiy  be 
ascribed  to  the  known  treachery  and  unconquerable  enmity  of 
these  people.  From  that  day  the  Natcher  no  longer  existed  as  a 
nation. 

I  have  been  more  minute  in  detailing  the  circumstfinces  of 
this  aifair,  than  perhaps  might  lie  deemed  necessary ;  but  it  has 
excited  much  interest,  and  is  generally  viewed  by  writers  as  of 
importance  in  history. 

In  the  same  year  Louisiana  was  rctroceded  to  the  king  of 
France,  and  Monsieur  Perier  appointed^overnor.  I  have  taken 
a  rapid  view  of  the  first  settlement  of  Louisiana ;  it  is  not  my  in- 
tention to  enter  ujwn  a  history  of  the  province,  this  would  not 
accord  with  the  plan  of  these  cursory  Views.  I  shall  only  ob- 
serve that  even  as  late  as  the  year  1736,  the  colony  was  incon- 
siderable, confined  to  some  trifling  settlements  at  the  Beloxi.  on 
the  Mobile,  and  on  the  Mississippi,  at  New  Orleans  and  Natchez. 
The  greatest  draw  back  on  the  prosperity  of  the  colony  was  the 


B0UNDAR1E9.->B00K  I. 


J89 


calumet  in  etcb 
;d  on  the  part  of 
heir  possession, 
unless  the  chieC 
»t  take  place,  but 
he  corner  of  his 

>  end  of  his  Fort, 
his  chief,  that  if 
«  general  would 
!  being  brought 
inless  the  great 
e  the  siege,  and 

>  surrender,  and 
maindfcr  whQrc* 
5  some  very  hea- 
on.  About  two 
d  river,  but  were 
lat  fell  into  thd 
ps  ;  a  thing  very 

v;hich  has  been 
k  perhaps  that  of 
jccasion,  may  be 
erable  enmity  of 
iger  existed  as  a 

:ircumst|inces  of 

ssary ;  but  it  has 

by  writers  as  of 

d  to  the  king  of 
lor.  I  have  taken 
;  it  is  not  my  in- 
,  this  would  not 
I  shall  only  ob< 
Qlony  was  incon- 
at  the  Beioxif  on 
uns  and  Natchez. 
B  colony  was  the 


injudicious  practice  of  monopolies.  The  inhabitants  could  only 
dispose  of  their  prodUbC  t»  the  Company,  and  at  such  prices  as 
k  chose  to  establish. 

Charlevoix  complains  that  although  the  Spaniards  did  not  act 
as  openly  as  the  English,  against  a  colony  at  which  they  had  taken 
great  umbrage:  yet  that  they  had  taken  their  measures  more  ef- 
fectually to  arrt&t  its  progress*  unU  tu  prevent  the  formation  of 
any  new  cstabUalimcnt.  He  says,  "  They  have  in  iact  succeeded 
even  till  now,*  in  retaining  us  by  the  pursuit  of  a  contemptible 
tradei  between  the  stream  which  was  neglected  to  bo  settled,! 
and  Pensacola,  on  a  sandy  coast^  on  an  islandy  not  belter,  unci 
upon  a  river,$  which^  although  well  enough  to  occupy,  is  yet 
not  fitted  for  any  great  plan  of  colonisation.  It  must  be  confess- 
ed, that  on  this  occasion  M.  D'lberville  was  not  judicious,  or 
that  he  had  no  time  to  carry  his  designs  into  execution.'* 


CHAFrSR  U. 


BOVNDARIES   OF    LOUISIANA. 


HAVING  taken  a  cursory  view  of  the  discovery  and  firss 
Kttkment  of  Louisiana,  I  now  enter  upon  a  subject  of  no  small 
difBculty^nd  perplexity ;  the  discussion  of  the  boundaries  of  thi& 
province.  Difficulties  have  already  occurred,  and  it  is  feared 
thai  others  will  yet  arise,  before  the  matter  be  finally  adjus'.'d. 
From  the  foregoing  chapter,  it  will  appear  to  the  reader,  tha« 
although  in  point  of  settlement  and  first  discovery,  the  French 
might  fairly  be  considered  as  having  the  best  claim  to  Florida, 
yet  the  subsequent  dereliction,  fior  so  great  a  number  of  years, 
gave  the  Spaniards  a  just  right  to  occupy  it,  as  a  country  own- 
ed only  by  the  natives.  We  have  seen,  that  Pensacola,  during  th* 
war  which  preceded  the  treaty  of  172 1,  was  taken  by  the  Frencii, 
but  afterwai'ds  surrendered  in  consequence  of  that  treaty..— 

*  1736.    t  Miwissipvi.    *  Beloxi.    (|  Isle  Dauphin.    §  MobilQ, 


^^ 


VIR\V9  op  LOUISIANA. 


)  !;i  ■■ 


Frnnde,  was  therefore  crinfined  to  th«  llmlta  taeitljr  itit>ulntert  oi^ 
u^iTed  on,  before  the  war,  or  at  lenst  to  the  ptirt,  of  i»hlbh  ithr 
uctuully  enjoyed  iMssetitlon  t  it  docs  not  uppcMr  thnt  thU  xnk^ 
ever  alteiTd  until  the  country  wii«  tr»niltrred  by  Fmnce  to  Spuin. 
What  those  Un.its  were,  between  what  retained  the  nhmo  of  Klo- 
ridti,  und  the  FiTnch  poaseMionH  to  the  east  of  the  MlsRl»sippi, 
is  tolurttbly  well  defined  by  seventl  wriierii  the  French  lArcrb  Un- 
doubtedly in  )M>HHesaion  on  the  Mobile,  und  Lu  liarpe  expressly 
declsres  the  Jiio  Pcfdido  to  bo  the  bountlMry. 

But  the  boundaries  of  this  provit^cb  like  those  of  ntany  other 
of  ihe  Americsn  colonies,  were  very  vugue,  and  given  by  writers 
who  were  inilueuced  by  national  vanity,  or  guided  by  the  iM>liti* 
cal  vieWs  of  government.  It  is  certain  that  Louisiana  in  the  haitdn 
of  France,  did  eHtend  a  very  considerable  distance  eai^t  of  the 
MissiHHippi ;  this  is  acknowledged  by  early  writer!  most  dis|M)k- 
ed  to  dispute  her  title.  Dr.  Postlcthwuyte  in  his  Dictionary  of 
Commerce,  after  apetking  of  the  diflicullies  of  ascertaining  the 
bolt;-  'aries  of  Louisiana,  observes,  "  that  certain  it  is,  that  Lou- 
isiana contains  the  greater  part  of  those  new  discovered  lunda 
east  and  west  of  the  Mississippii  which  tet  first  had  the  name  of 
Florida." 

L  A  q'^estion  has  arisen  whether  Louisiattu  by  virtue  of  the 
cession  to  us,  is  held  in  the  sumo  extent  as  it  was  holden  by 
France  previous  to  the  Qd  of  November  1763;  that  isito  tiio 
Perdido  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippii  for  it  cun  scurcely 
be  doubted  that  previous  to  the  period  just  mentioned,  it  did  ex- 
tend to  that  river.  To  render  the  ^tubjcct  more  clear  it  will  bo 
necessary  to  ascend  to  first  causes,  and  to  take  a  view  of  thoso 
which  induced  the  diflTeront  transfers.  As  soon  as  the  settle- 
nients  on  the  Mississippi  and  in  the  Illinois,  had  taken  a  firm  foot- 
ing, tho  design  was  formed  of  uniting  them  with  Canada,  mtder 
the  name  of  Now  France )  a  young  scion  that  in  time  would  huvo 
vivalled  und  perhaps  surpassed  New-England.  M.  D  Anville 
'under  the  patronage  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  executed  u  map  of 
New  France  which  inclutled  the  whole  extent  of  country  west 
of  tho  Allegany  mountains.  To  the  whole  ul  the  valley  of  thn 
^lisaiss'iipi,  France  hud  probably  the  most  just  claim,  us  the  dJH- 
•'ovcrcr  of  the  American  Nile;  aad  ua  the  firnt  to  form  eatublish* 


iBfttTMt>Alli:.B.-tlOOK 


SI 


t,  of  nulth  nhe 
ftf  that  this  Wttrt 
FrHnce  to  Hpuin. 
the  numo  of  Flo- 
the  Mi»«Usippi» 
Frettch  lArcrb  tiii- 
lUrpo  expr«»tily 

aw  of  many  other 
I  given  by  writers 
tied  by  the  jM)lUi- 
Hittnu  in  the  hands 
tunce  eait  of  the 
torn  moat  cUs|»oh- 
hia  Dictionary  ol" 
f  ttsceriuining  the 
ttin  It  la,  that  Lou- 
cliacovered  lunda 
t  hud  the  nume  of 

in  by  virtue  of  the 
I  waa  holden  by 
V2  ;  that  Ui  to  tiio 
or  it  cun  acrtrccly 
ntloned,  It  did  ex- 
ro  cltar  it  will  bo 
D  tt  view  of  tbosO 
ion  uft  the  aettlc- 

taken  a  firm  fool- 
iih  Canada,  under 
>  time  would  huvo 
d,    M.  U  Anvllle 

xccuiod  u  map  of 
of  country  went 

tho  valley  of  tho 
t  clwim,  aa  the  diw- 

10  form  estubllsh* 


InehtA  on  nil  Us  |*rcat  rivrrik.  But  ihls^  interfered  wUh  the  DrU 
\\a\\  chaMcrs  which  extemled  IndeHnltf  ly  tb  ihr  Weai ;  another 
inap  was  pwbliahed  (probably  under  the  direction  of  the  ndnin- 
try)  reairlctlng  France  to  inuch  r»niTt)n*'r  llmlta.  The  dlaputo 
was  settled  by  a  wuv  in  which  Fruiwe  lont  nil  her  poaseasionJ 
In  thU  quarter  of  the  world.  Canada  fulDng  into  the  bands  of 
llrltaln,  and  Fra^ice;  feurlv.R  that  the  like  htti  might  attend  Lou- 
Uiana,  by  a  secret  treaty  of  the  Sil  Nov.  I7ft4,  ceded  to  Spain  to 
much  of  this  province  as  lies  beyond  the  Mia&UHl)lpl,  together 
wlih  the  isle  of  Orleans ;  and  by  the  trc  *ty  ol  peace  whlcn  follow- 
ed in  1 76.1,  tho  whole  tevritory  of  f-Wnr.  and  iS/)o^/. .  eastward 
of  \he  river  Mlailasippl  to  tho  invar  Iberville,  thence  through 
the  n\lddle  of  that  river  ai)d  tho  lakes  Ponttharttaitt  to  tho  Nea« 
was  ceded  to  Great  Brituln.  ^ ' ' ^ ' 

it  will  be  rerollected  that  during  the  American  revolution, 
Spain  taking  part  With  the  United  Siutes,  conquered  the  Floridas 
from  Great  Britain,  and  they  were  confirmed  to  her  by  the  trtm- 
ty  of  If  83 }  she  thus  ic-attached  10  Louisiana,  the  part,  which,  by 
her)«/iir  act  tvUh  /-Vttnce,  had  bi;en  k^parated  from  It,  at  the  wane 
period  that  Florida  was  cctled  by  Siwln  to  Brltnhi.  That  part  ol* 
Louisiana  onco  more  came  under  tho  government  of  the  pro- 
vince. A  aepnrate  one  was  formtd  of  Flori(k  of  which  Peu8««> 
cola  betame  the  caphal. 

By  the  treaty  of  St.  lldefonso,  Spain  ceded  back  to  the  Frencli 
republic,  «*  Ihe  colony  or  pitivlnce  of  Louisiana,  >tlth  the  same 
fcxtetu  that  U  athuiily  had  in  the  hnuda  qf  Sftainy  and  thct  it  hcfd 
When  Fiynncr  fiometied  :";,  and  -uch  as  it  ought  to  be  after  the 
treaties  subsrciuently  entered  into  between  Spain  ahd  oth«i' 
States.*'  This  treaty  was  confirmed  by  that  of  Madrid  1 801 .  Td 
Ihe  United  Slates,  it  was  ceded  by  Fnmce  r.i,  the  30ih  AprH 
1803,  With  a  iHsferenco  to  the  forti^olng  cIuub?>  as  descriptive  of 
Us  Undts. 

This  brief  exi^oaltlon  ml^ht  be  deemed  svilBi  lent,  and  th0 
ftble  view  of  the  subject  by  Mr.  Gallatin  plnrrs  U  Iwyond  doubt. 
U  is  a  fact  well  kituwn  in  this  country,  that  tho  conunandimt« 
lul  at  Mobile  I 


Uotig 


prepii 


np  their 


|>osta  to  \\t  Uidteil  States,  and  that  it  was  owing  to  some  over* 
aJBhi  in  lite  comn\ls»loncrs  that  po»?«ea«iion  wan  not  actwalW  taken. 


I 


36 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


It  is  not  a  new  clidm  set  up  on  the  spur  of  the  occasion  i  the  first 
acts  of  congress  relative  to  Louisiana,  expressly  provided  for  the 
government  of  this,  as  wcU  as  of  other  parts  of  the  province.  A 
recapitulation  of  the  facts  will  place  the  subject  in  aelearer  light. 
1.  France,  previous  to  the  year  1762,  possessed  as  far  as  the  Per- 
dido.  3.  By  the  treaty  of  that  date,  she  ceded  to  Spain  not  the 
whole  of  Louisiana,  but  only  so  much  of  it,  as  lay  west  of  the  Mis* 
sissippi,  &c.  3.  France  jointly  with  Spain,  ceded  to  Britain  east 
of  the  same  river.  Sec.  4.  Spain  re-attached  to  Louisiana,  that  part 
which  she  had  jointly  with  France  ceded  in  the  manner  before 
inentioned.  Spain  ceded  the  province  to  France  in  the  santc  ex- 
tent as  was  then  held  by  her,  and  as  it  had  been  held  by  France 
when  she  possessed  it,  and  was  again  ceded  by  the  latter  to  the 
United  States  in  the  same  extent.  Some  have  been  deceived  by 
the  term  West  Florida^  and  have  supposed  a  separate  govern- 
ment to. have  existed  under  this  name,  but  the  fact  is  that  it  was 
first  distinguished  in  this  manner  after  it  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Britain. 

IL  The  boundaries  of  Louisiana  to  the  S.  W.  and  the  N<  £• 
still  remain  in  doubt  and  obscurity  In  fact,  from  the  variety  of 
claimants,  and  the  ignorance  of  the  geography  of  the  country  in 
the  first  instance,  it  was  scarcely  to  be  expected  that  the  limits 
could  be  clearly  and  satisfactorily  defined.  Father  Hennepin  and 
Mons.  La  Salle,  bounded  Louisiana  on  the  east  by  the  AUeghe- 
]ay  mouutams,  on  the  south  by  the  gulph  of  Mexico,  and  on  the 
S.  W.  by  the  Spanish  settlements ;  on  the  N.  and  W.  they  deny 
any  boundary.  Oe  Lisle  and  Mons.  D'Anville  assign  as  the 
boundary  in  the  quarter  of  Mexico,  the  Rio  Bravo.  Others 
contend  that  it  was  contained  within  the  25°  and  %0  of  N.  lati- 
tude. France  certainly  claimed  to  the  Rio  Bravo ;  and  this  has 
been  expressed  in  an  official  act,  the  Grt\nt  to  Crosat.  It  is  not 
clear  that  our  executive  is  not  bound  to  nic^intain  thh  claim  un- 
til expressly  waved  by  the  competent  authority ;  the  sovereign 
which  our  government  suceeds,  had  declared  the  right,  and  actu- 
ally exercised  jurisdiction.  These  are  political  acts,  and  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  say  how  just  or  reasonable  the  causes  which  induced 
them.  There  is  no  question  but  that  France  had  undisturbed 
possession  as  far  as  the  Rio  HondO)  (west  of  Natchitochesj  and 


PACE  OP  COUNTRY,  &c.— BOOK  I. 


^7 


»slon  -f  Uie  firsl 
trovided  for  the 
he  province.  A 
» a  clearer  light, 
s  far  as  the  Per- 
to  Spain  not  the 
west  of  the  Mis* 
d  to  Britain  east 
uisiana,  that  part 
e  manner  before 
i  in  the  san.c  ex- 
1  held  by  France 
f  the  latter  to  the 
oeen  deceived  by 
separate  govern- 
fact  is  that  it  was 
into  the  hands  of 

W.  and  the  N.  E. 
•om  the  variety  of 
of  the  country  in 
ted  that  the  limits 
her  Hennepin  and 
it  by  the  Alleghe- 
exico,  and  on  the 
and  W.  they  deny 
ille  assign  as  the 
lo  Bravo.    Others 
and  %0  of  N.  lati- 
•avo ;  and  this  has 

Crosat.  It  is  net 
:ain  thi*  claim  un- 
ity ;  the  sovereign 

he  right,  and  actu- 
al acts,  and  it  is  dif- 
ses  which  induced 

e  had  undisturbed 

Natchitoches;  and 


that  a  fort  was  built  by  La  Salle,  on  the  bay  of  St.  Bernard ;  it 
is  said  that  its  remains  are  still  visible.  The  United  States  have 
declared  the  Sabine  to  be  the  boundary  of  the  State  of  Louisiana, 
but  there  is  no  declaration  liow  much  further  our  claim  may  be 
considered  as  extending.  Should  Mexico  achieve  her  indcpen- 
dence,  the  amicable  disposition  which  will  probably  be  felt  will 
render  this  more  easy  of  arrangement.  It  would  not  be  difficult 
to  fix  this  boundary  by  taking  either  the  Trinity,  Brasses  de  Diosv 
or  Guadaloupe,  of  the  bay  of  St.  Bernard,  following  the  course 
of  one  of  these  rivers  to  its  source,  from  thence  pursuing  a  N. 
W.  direction  to  the  Cordilleras,  and  following  these  so  as  to  in- 
clude all  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and  of  the  Missouri.  Na- 
cogdoches, St.  Antonio,  Labourdi,  and  a  few  other  inconsider- 
able settlements,  would  be  the  only  ones  included.  Other  ar- 
langements  might  perhaps  be  made  still  more  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  parties. 

It  is  not  more  easy  to  assign  the  boundary  to  the  N.  W.  and 
N.  Perhaps  the  50°  of  N.  latitude  would  be  the  roost  certajui  and 
just. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY — CHANGE  WHICH  A  PART  HAS  PROBA- 
BLY UNDERGONE— -CLIMATE— EXTENT  AND  IMPORTANCE. 

This  extensive  portion  of  North  America,  h<\s  usually  been 
described  from  a  small  part  which  is  occupied  by  the  settle- 
ments; as  though  it  were  limited  to  the  borders  of  the  Mississip- 
pi, as  Egypt  is  confined  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Nile.  Some  repre- 
sent it,  in  general  description,  as  a  low  flat  country,  abounding 
in  swamps  and  pu'ujcct  to  inundation.  Others  speak  of  it  us  one 
vast  wilderness ; 

*'  Missouri  marches  through  hia  world  of  woods.'* 

But  if  Louisiana  were  to  be  described  like  other  countries  not 
from  a  particular  spot,  but  from  its  general  appearance,  we 
should  say  that  it  is  an  extensive  region  of  open  plains  and  mea- 
'lo^sj  interspersed  with  bare  untillable  hills,  and  having  some 


sa 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


ilfl 


resemblance  to.  the  Stepps  of  Tartary,  or  the  Saara's  of  Afripa, 
but  without  the  morasses  and  dull  uniformity  of  the  one,  or  the 
dreary  sterility  of  the  other.  The  tracts  lying  op  the  great  rivers 
constitute  the  most  important  pat'ts  of  Loubiana»  but  are  very  inr 
considerable  in  geographical  extent,  when  cqcapared  with  the 
remainder.  These  tracts  are  principally  on  the  Mississippi, 
Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Red  river.  They  are  yallies,  seldom  ex- 
ceeding ten  or  twelve  mUes  in  width,  uf  a  soil  exceedingly  rich 
and  produ^ctivc,  but  much  interspersed  with  lakes  and  rc&uent 
current^  or  bjayous.  To  gi>ve  a  more  perfect  and  satisfcictory  vie^v 
of  this  extensive  cqi^ry,  it  will  t^e  found  convenient  to  divide 
it  into  three  parts. 

1.  The  regiqns  beyond  the  settlen^ents. 

2.  The  territory  of  the  M^issouri. 

3.  The  state  of  Louisiana. 

Volney  has  properly  called  the  country  drained  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Its  waters,  a  valley ;  hut  it  is.  to  be  observed  that  the 
'western  side  is  nearly  three  times,  aa  large  as  the  other,  and  tra- 
versed by  much  more  considerable  rivers.  The  mountains  which 
bound  it  on  the  vf  est  and  S,.  W-  are  of  a  much  greater  magnitude 
than  thff  Alleganies. 

To  pursue  some  plan,  in  these  Views,  I  propose  to  take  up 
the  Qrst  book,  with  some  gei^al  description  of  Louisiana,  its 
rivers,  soil  and  productions,  and  to  give  in  the  next  book,  a  more 
detailed  account  of  the  territory  of  the  Missouri,  and  of  the. 
state  of  Louisiana — 

The  {(o.cky  Mountains  are  wit!hout<k)ubta  continuation  of  the 
Andes.  Their  course  is  nearly  north  and  south;  ini  extent  and 
magnitude  they  fall  little  shoi^t  of  the  iriotintaiins  of  South  Ame< 
ricai.  Therf)  are  in  s<«ne  places  peaks  of  an  immense  height, 
and  cov«ve4'  v^itbperenniai  snoiwsi.  JhQ  highest  point  is  in  lat, 
41°,  andirnay  be^onsidered  the  table  land  of  North  America. 
It  is  from  this  placp  that  many  of  the  tyreatest  rivers,  take  their 
rise,  and  flpw  in  opposite  directions  ;t  the  Colorado  of  Califor- 
nia, Rio  del  Norte,  the  Arkansas,  the  PLtte,  and  the  Roche  Jaune 
f yellow- stone-.).  It  willi  be- 1©  the  geologist  an  interesting  work., 


»'  See  Pll^'8  JpurnM* 


FACE  OF  COUNTRY,  &c.~BOOK  I.  S9 

^0  trace  the  various  ridges,  connections,  spurs  and  dependencies 
of  these  mountains.  There  is  a  long  chain  of  lulls  which  gene- 
rally  separate  the  waters  of  the  Missouri  fipm  those  of  the  Ar- 
}cansas  and  Mississippi,  these  are  commonly  called  the  Black 
mountains.  The  hills  in  the  White  river  country,  and  those 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  towards  the  head  of  the  St-  Francis  and 
the  Maramek,  so  abundant  in  minerals,  may  b^  dependencies 
of  the  Black  mountains.  There  are  high  rugged  hills,  approach- 
ing  to  mountains,  between  the  upper  part  of  the  Washita  river 
and  the  Arkansas,  of  which  some  accoqnt  may  be  found  in  Hun- 
ter  and  Dunbar's  voyage  up  the  Washita. 

Taking  the  distance  from  the  Mississippi  tothe  mountains,  to 
be  about  nine  hundred  miles,  of  the  first  two  hundred  miles,  the 
It^rger  proportion  is  fit  for  settlements.  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
well  timbered  land  and  the  soil  is  generally  good :  this  quality, 
trawever,  diminishes  as  we  ascend  north,  where  the  soil  becomes 
unproductive  and  almost  barren,  and  as  we  advance  westward 
the  land  becomes  more  bare  of  woods.  For  the  next  three  hun- 
dred  miles  the  country  can  scarcely  be  said  to  admit  of  settle - 
hients;  the  wooded  parts  form  but  trifling  exceptions  to  its  ge- 
neral appearance,  and  are  seldom  found  except  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  streams ;  we  may  safely  lay  it  down  as  a  general 
remark,  that  after  the  first  hundred  miles,  no  timber  is  found 
on  the  upland  except  it  be  pine  or  cedar.  The  rest  of  the  coun- 
try is  made  up  of  open  plains  of  immense  extent,  chequered 
with  waving  ridges  which  enable  the  traveller  to  sec  his  jour- 
ney of  several  days  before  him.  Yet  a  great  proportion  of  the 
soil  would  bear  cultivation,  the  river  bottoms,  being  generally 
fincj  and  many  spots  truly  beautiful :  there  are  other  places,  how- 
ever, barren  in  the  extreme,  producing  nothing  but  hyssop  and 
prickly  pears.  The  same  description  will  suit  the  rest  of  the 
country  to  the  Rocky  mountains ;  except  that  it  is  more  moun- 
tainous, badly  watered,  and  a  greater  pro^iortion  entirely  barren.* 
In  the  two  last  divisions  the  bodies  of  land  fit  for  settlements, 

•  There  are  extensive  tracts  of  moving  sands  similar  to  those  of  the 
African  deserts.  Mr.  Makey  informed  me  that  he  was  several  days  in 
passing-  over  one  of  these  between  the  Platte  and  the  Missouri,  and  near 
the  mountains;  there  was  no-  sign  of  vegetation. 


Ill 


so 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA, 


J. 


J 


are  so  distant  from  each  other,  that  there  is  scarcely  any  proba- 
bility of  any  being  formed  tor  centuries,  if  ever. 

A  great  proportion  of  the  country  watered  by  the  Missouri 
and  its  tributary  streams,  appears  to  have  undergone  some  won- 
derful change,  from  causes  not  easy  to  ascertain ;  the  influence 
of  fire,  is  however  evident.  I  have  seen  in  many  places  banks  of 
clay  burnt  almost  to  the  consistence  of  brick ;  of  this  kind,  there 
is  above  the  Poncas  village,  what  is  called  the  tower,  a  steep 
hill  one  hundred  und  fiity  feet  in  height,  and  four  or  five  hun- 
dred in  circumference :  it  is  so  hard,  as  not  to  be  affected  by  the 
washing  of  the  rains.  Large  masses  of  pumice  are  seen  near 
these  places,  and  frequently  in  the  high  bluff's  of  the  river  banks. 
These  appearances  were  formerly  attributed  to  the  existence 
of  volcanoes  on  the  Missouri,  but  they  are  now  generally  sup- 
posed to  be  the  effects  of  coul-banks  continuing  a  long  time  on 
fire.  I  am  well  saiisfied  that  this  fossil  abounds  in  every  part  of 
the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  Many  ot  the  river  hills  pre^^ 
sent  the  appearance  of  heaps  of  clay,  great  quantities  of  which, 
on  the  melting  oi  the  snows,  and  in  heavy  rains,  are  precipitated 
and  carried  to  the  principal  river.  This  clay,  is  of  a  grey  color 
extremely  tenacious,  being  mixed  with  a  large  proportion  of  cal- 
carious  eaith :  the  incumbent  soil  havingbeen  first  carried  away; 
the  rock  on  which  it  reposed  being  laid  bare  to  the  frost  and 
6un,  and  perhaps  affected  by  the  burning  of  coal-banks  near  it, 
gradually  crumbled  and  united  with  the  clay.  In  taking  up  a 
liandful,  one  may  pick  out  pieces  of  gypsum,  (sulphat  of  lime) 
some  of  half  an  ounce  weight.  Near  these  spots  are  usually 
tbund  glaubers  salt,  (sulphat  of  soda)  and  common  salt,  oozing 
with  water  out  of  the  ground,  und  crystallized  on  the  surface. 
The  most  remarkable  fact,  is  the  appearance  on  these  heaps  of 
clay,  of.  the  remains  of  trees,  in  a  state  of  petrifaction  and  some 
of  enormous  size.  Fragments  may  be  every  where  picked  up, 
but  stumps  of  four  or  five  feet  in  height,  perfectly  turned  to 
ytone,  and  the  trunks  of  tall  trees,  may  be  seen  and  traced.  This 
is  extraordinary  in  a  country,  where  even  in  the  richest  alluvions, 
the  timber  attains  but  a  stinted  growth. 

From  these  facts  an  ingenious  theorist  might  conjecture,  that 
the  Missouri  has  iiQt  always  brought  down  in  its  channel,  ttvit 


f  ACE  OP  COUNTRY,  &c.-^BOOK  I. 


U 


rcely  any  proba- 


Astonishing  quantity  of  earth  which  it  docs  at  tlie  present  day.— 
It  is  .'robable,  that  other  causes,  as  in  Tartar y,  might  have  ope- 
rated  in  preventing  th6  growth  of  woods,  in  a  great  proportiorr 
of  this  western  region ;  but  something  of  a  different  kind,  must 
have  cfTected  a  change  in  this  country,  which  apparently  was 
once  covered  with  trees.  What  immense  quantities  of  the  earth 
must  have  been  carried  off  to  form  the  great  alluvions  of  the 
Mississippi,  by  means  of  the  Arkansas,  Red  river,  and  chiefly 
from  the  Missouri!  not  to  mention  the  vast  quantities  -lost  in 
the  gulph  of  Mexico.  The  result  of  a  calculation  would  be  cu-< 
rious.  The  marks  of  this  loss,  are  very  evident  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  nearly  all  the  rivers  which  discharge  themselves  in- 
to the  Missouri  above  the  Platte.  Some  of  the  appearances, 
may  rank  amongst  the  greatest  natural  curiosities  in  the  worldi 
The  traveller  on  entering  a  plain,  is  deceived  at  the  first  glance 
by  what  appears  to  be  the  ruins  of  some  great  city ;  rows  of 
houses  for  several  miles,  in  length,  and  regular  streets.  At  the 
first  view,  there  appears  to  be  all  the  precision  of  design,  with 
the  usual  deviations  in  single  buildings,  representing  palacesi 
temples.  Sec. ;  which  appearances,  are  caused  by  the  washing 
away  of  the  hills  as  before  described.  These  remains,  being  conkr 
posed  of  more  durable  substance  continue  undecayed  while  th'^ 
rest  is  carried  off.  The  strata,  have  the  appearance  of  different 
stories:  the  isolated,  and  detached  hills,  constitute  the  remain- 
der. I  had  this  description  from  hunters,  and  from  persons  of 
intelligence  who  have  met  with  them,  and  I  have  myself,  seen 
places  near  the  Missouri,  very  similar. 

There  is  but  a  small  portion  of  this  extensive  region,  which 
is  not  calcaneus;  in  this  respect,  resembling  the  section  of  the 
valley  which  lies  east  of  the  Mississippi.  A  fact  which  is  singu- 
lar enough,  on  the  summits  of  many  of  the  river  hills,  about  one 
thousand  miles  up,  large  blocks  of  granite  are  found,  of  several 
tons  weight;  these  continue  to  be  seen  until  we  reuch  the. first 
range  of  primitive  mountains.  It  is  i>ossible,  there  may  have 
been  a  lower  range,  which  from  the  change  produced  by  tiia 
wearing  away  of  the  earth  has  gradually  disappeared. 

Some  of  the  pecuiiarhies  of  climate  may  be  noted  in  thl» 
place.  Th«  height  of  this  western  region,  and  the  opcn^Iahf; 


VIEWS  OP  LOtJISf  At^A.  ''?^ 


/I 


which  compose  it*  cause  it  to  possess  a  pare  elastic  air.  Thli 
sky  has  a  more  delightful  blue,  than  1  evM^sa#  ahy  where  else; 
the  atmosphere  in  a  serene,  calm  evening  is  so  clear,  that  a  slight 
smoke  can  be  discerned  at  a  distance  of  many  miles ;  and  is 
of  great  importance  to  the  Indians  in  detectmg  their  enemieqi 
and  in  giving  warning;  but  it  also  exercises  their  caution  in  the 
highest  degree.  In  point  of  health,  it  is  unnecessary  to  Say  any 
thing ;  such  a  country  must  necessarily  be  Salubrious.  The  heat 
of  the  sun  is  greatest  in  the  month  of  July,  And  at  that  time*  is  not 
less  intense  than  in  other  parts  of  the  continent,  but  it  is  render^ 
ed  more  supportable  by  the  breezes  which  continually  fan  the 
air.  Spring  opens  about  the  last  of  April^  and  Vegetation  is  itii 
considerable  forwardness  by  the  middle  of  May.  Such  fruits  as 
the  country  affords,  principally^  berries,  sahd  cherrieW,  tufraiitdji 
do  not  ripen  Until  the  latter  end  of  July.  1  found  strawberries 
ripe  about  the  fourth  of  that  month,  near  the  Mandan  villages; 
Plumbs  ripen  in  the  latter  end  of  August.  The  winter  sets  in  th<i 
beginning  of  October,  but  there  is  frost  Veiy  frequently  in  Au- 
gust and  September.  The  cold  is  exeessive  during  the  wintetf 
season ;  there  are  frequent  storms  which  continue  for  several 
days,  and  render  it  dangerous  for  any  but  Indians  to  stir  out^ 
without  running  the  riik  of  being  froceh.  These  observations^ 
apply  to^he  greater  portion  of  this  region,  but  with  respect  to  the 
part  which  lies  south  of  the  Arkansas,  must  be  taken  with  consi- 
derable allowance^ 

To  the  north  of  the  river  jiist  mentioned,  rains  are  not  fre- 
quent, but  when  they  set  in,  pour  down  in  torrents  To  the  south) 
there  is  seldom  any  rain,  its  place  being  supplied  by  heavy  dews. 
In  the  dry  «eason,  at  a  distance  from  the  great  rivers.  Water  is 
every  where  exceedingly  scarce.  The  Indians  in  their  journeys^ 
usually  pass  by  places  where  they  know  there  at'e  ponds,  biit 
generally,  they  are  under  the  necessity  of  carrying  watei*  in  blad- 
elers.  In  this  seasouj  a  person  in  traversing  the  country  will  bd 
frequently  surprised  at  crossing  the  beds,  or  channels  of  largii 
-rivers,  without  finding  a  drop  of  Water.  After  tainSj  br  the  melt- 
ing of  snows,  torrents  roll  down  these  chani)fels.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  a  country  so  distant  from  the  sea,  drained  by  a  river 
Which  h£is  A  oottvse  of  three  thousand  miles>  before  it  teaches  the 


;  i 


i'AOB  or  COWTW,  k^^^OOK  I. 


ffrtiijt  rmei^olr,  thmli  ikh  ba  bo  w«H  inMn<)<  This  jeficMncjis  ' 
i»  (nothcr  amongst  thff  iropcdUiMiU  to  the  MttlQmfint  of  that 
vast  wante. 

According  (o  the  bOfUndaika  beforA  lai4  down*  l^ouliiawk  b 
«t  Icaati  QQQ  third  larger  than  (h«  raat  of  the  Uii)t«d  States*  ao4 
cootaina  iittl«  abort  of  one  miUion  m4  an  half  aquare  mUea.  But 
wa  ahould  be  gready  decvivad  tf  in  Kstimaang  ita  importwof 
we  taka  into  view  only  ita  geograpbieal  extent  Coaatitming  tJn$ 
central  or  interior  part  of  North  America,  ^  greater  portioa 
x)f  it,  is  at  too  remote  a  distance  from  the  ocean  to  have  an  eaay 
and  advantageoua  commiinicaUnn  with  the  reat  of  the  worid.-« 
When  compared  td  other  parta  of  America  it  may  be  consider- 
ed as  badly  watf9[ired»  wd  devoid  «f  that  facility  of  intercourse 
from  navigable  rivers  which  thciy  {Kkaaeoa*  I  am  to  be  undsn- 
stood,  aa  apeaUng  of  Ij>uiaiana  generally ;  there  are  exceptiow 
to  these  general  ehaervationa :  the  territory  of  the  Miatouri,  and 
the  state  of  Louiaiaaat  are  amply  sufficient  to  make  aroenda  fior 
tiie  nnpremiaing  cbaractar  of  the  reinainder>  they  may  be  jiutly 
reckonedamongstthe  moat  intereatingportiona  of  the  American 
empire. 

From  what  haa  faeen  already  aaid,  it  will  be  aeen  that  the  pr«-, 
ruling  idea  of  thoae  weatem  re^^s,  being  like  the  rest  of  the 
United  Statest  susceptible  of  cultivation,  and  aflor^bag  endleaa 
out-leta  to  aetUementa,  ia  erroneous.  Theaa  outlets  when  com- 
pared tp  the  extent  gf  country  are  extremely  limited  (  they  ure 
much  lesa  considerable  than  en  the  eastern  aide  of  the  Miaaia- 
feippi.  The  nativea  will  probah^  remain  In  quiet  and  undistnrh-  ■ 
ed  possession,  for  at  least  a.  century,  for  until  our  country  be- 
come^  in  aome  degree  aurcharged  with  pep^iation,  there  ifi 
bcarcely  any  probability  of  settlera  venturing  far  into  thoae  re- 
gions. A  different  mode  of  life,  hidiits  altogether  new  and  auif- 
ed  to  the  situation,  would  have  to  be  adopted.  Settlementa  would 
hpve  to  be  strung  along  water  coursea  at  such  distances  from 
each  other,  that  they  could  not  protect  theniitelvea  from  the  wa»> 
dering  tribes.  The  distance  from  market,  and  the  difiBculties  of 
reaching  it,  would  render  the  agricultural  produce  ef  little  or  ne 
value.  Yet,  I  am  convinced,  that  did  not  the  Indians  ppaaesa  it, 
there  would  ip  a  very  short  time,  be  mapy  small  grqupa  of  lev 

E 


/> 


yii5W8  6t  i^omsiAT^A 


\':->&' 


J  I'  h' 


tletn«nts  'icattored  throtif^h  it.  This  countrft  it  itf  ceilaint  coli 
never  become  agricultural)  but  it  is  in  many  respects  liiKhly  f»- 
vourablc  to  the  multtpUcution  of  flocks  und  herds.  Those  dc- 
liglMful  B|>6ts  where  the  beouty  and  variety  of  landscapOf  miglvC 
challenge  the  fan<y  of  the  pocly  Invite  to  the  pastoral  life.  How 
admirably  suited  to  ihaitnteretting  animal,  the  sheep,  arc  those 
clean  smooth  meadows,  of  a  swrface  infinitely  varied  by  hill  and 
dale*  covered  with  a  short  sweet  grass  intermixed  with  tlioti- 
sanfli  of  the  most  beautiftil  flowers,  undeformed  by  a  single 
weed! 

This  contractic:"  of  the  aettlements  will  have  its  advantages. 
The  territory  we  possessed  before  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana, 
would  not  have  been  filled  up  for  a  great  length  of  time  :  it  wiH 
reqoire  ages,  and  even  centuries  before  our  lands  can  be  culti- 
vated as  in  Europe, or  before  the  population  presses  on  the  means 
of  subustencc.  A  thin  and  scattered  population  is  a  disadvantage 
as  it  weakens  a  nation,  ind  retards  tl>e  progress  uf  improvements. 
There  is  also  a  consideration  which  will  strike  at  the  first  view.; 
the  vast  open  plains  which  separate  us  from  the  Mexican  pro- 
vinces will  for  a  long  time  prevent  any  serious  difiiculties  as  to 
boundary  where  there  exists  so  little  data  for  determining  it. 

To  dilate  upon  the  political  advantages  of  Vie  acquisition  of 
Louisiana  would  fill  a  volume.  It  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  fortunate  occurrenoes  in  our  history.  Had  this  country 
-continued  in  the  hands  of  any  other  power,  it  is  iiighly  probable 
-that  we  should  have  been  involved  in  expensive  wars,  or  per- 
haps a  separation  of  the  western,  states  might  have  tuken  place. 
•To  thesci  states  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  is  abso- 
lutely necessary,  and  while  Louisiana  remained  in  the  posses- 
sion of  any  European  nation  it  would  always  have  been  subject 
to  interruption.  This  consideration  alone  would  have  been  worth 
the  price  paid  for  the  province.  The  connection  between  the  ex- 
istence of  a  republic  and  the  extent  of  its  territory,  ia  still  a  vex- 
ata  guettio  amongst  politicians,  and  can  only  be  decided  by  the 
experiment  of  ours.  I  will  only  venture  to  suggest  one  idea.  In 
a  small  extent  of  country  there  is  danger  from  the  momentary 
bias  of  popular  opinion  ;  the  fiermaneni  intercstsy  may  not  be 
sufficiently  diversified,  and  should  tlie  confederacy  divide  on  this 


FACE  OF  COUNTRYr  &c.— DOOK  I. 


subject*  into  two  great  particsf. nothing,  cun  long  retain  them  in 
union.  In  an  exteniitve  region  like  ours*  even  with  the  uidof  our 
ihoutand  ne wa fia/i era ^^pulav  feeling  cannot  be  suddenly  arous< 
cd  to  such  a  pitch  of  pasftion  and  phrenzy,  aa  to  break  down  thu 
barriers  of  feason;  and  the  northern  and  southern  interests,  (of 
which  wo  hear;  are  neutralized  by  the  weight  of  set^cml  impidt*- 
tant  states  whose  interests  are  connected' with  thut  bf  both.  Tht 
western  states,  like  the  southetn,  w6  devoted  to  agilttiUbre,  but 
at  the  same  time,  dejiiMident  oh'  tHc  tdtninorce  of  iti6^  lioi'thc^m 


for  the  conveniences  ahd  luxuries  6f  life.  ^  " 


I  /; ;    ^mv.^d. 


The  acctiritjf'^o^r  westetn  scttlement^'Wlfl  ddrlvji 'a^iKir^  (^'^ 
numerous  tribes  bf  lavages,  who  woultf  bo  at  the  disposal  of  atijf' 
]^6wer  holding  Louisiiitia,  may  be  ranktd  lirndngst  the  niosi'bei'- 
tain  advantages  of  the  ttcqulsitlbti.  Oat*  vicinity  to  thb  MexieaK 
provinces  wilt  enable  tii(  to  carry  '(im  a  trade,  which  If  permitted 
to  be  free,  must  In  a  iiliort  time  become  of  iiidfltculkble  value.  Il 
is  ardently  to  be  wished  that  these  people  during  their  present 
struggles  iHay  be  able  to  throw  off  the  foreign  governtnent) 
-which  ruled  theih  as  it  were  by  the  epells<OJr  Circe,  by  using' eve- 
ry art  to  retain  them  in  ignorance,  and  tb  render  them  debased. 
Cduid  ihede  people  become  independent  and  be'i^genei^ted  by 
the  ennobling  spirit  of  freedom,  the  northern  continent  Would  bis 
exclusively  possessed  by  two  great  nations,  Americans  and'  IVlfexU 
cans,  united  in  friendship  by  b&monizing  interests  uid  sympa-^ 
thy  of  governments.  '  - .  nw# 

The  intrinsic  value  of  Louisiana  nottrithiitanding  the  vast  'Ex- 
tent which  may  be  considered  alnk>st  barren,  is  beyond  ct^cul^- 
tioh.  The  territory  of  the  Missouri,  anil  the  state  6^  l^uistanaj 
are  equal  in  extent  to  any  three  of  the  largest  itdtes;  containing 
every  variety  of  soil  and  climate,  and  cipkbte  ot  proH^tfcin^  what- 
feyer  may  administer  to  thie  convenience 'c»r  luxury  bf  niari ;  'ricH 
in  mhierais,  fertile  in  soil,  and  favorably  Situated  for  cv^ry  «Joiii- 
inerctf  and  manulacture.        "^'i^f^^ttff;d«-r:?i?u':         .  .ii^ili 

■'    •  ■'  •  .  '  •  :  ■  /.ii  ii*no:i:u6hoT'{:  '-;     ji]b 

'■''■■■■  -^  :    .   -J  ...  .>:,  ,■  . ,:  .^     .  .rirjiiud. 


Id 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


tUAFl  £R  IV. 


u 


II 


lAKll   AITD   ftlTtoRlS, 

in  90  great  an  extent  of  countrjrv  it  u  not  surprning  there 
should  be  man;  navigable  rivefs.  lo  Louisiana  there  are  not 
leM  than  tJiree  hundred  streama  adapted  t^  the  purpoaes  of  na« 
▼igation,  and  yet  this  section  of  the  great  valley  of  tlte  Mississip- 
pi, lA  far  from  being  as  well  watered  aa  that  on  the  eastern  side, 
fiprings  are  less  abundanti  and  the  rivera  depend,f:hiefly  for  their 
fUpply  on  rainsi  and  on,  the  meUing  of  the  snow:^  It  is  a  rewark 
which  appliea  to  yearly  ^.  |he  larger  rivers  aiq  the  western  side 
of  the  Miasisaippi>  which  Uke  tbcii*  rise,  ii^  the  great  mountains, 
where  springs  are  ntunerou^  and  the  strcqima  clear  and  limpid* 
that  while  ^ry  flow  through  the  mountainous  country*  thejf  pos- 
sess deep  aod  qlear, channels,  apd  i^re  of  ea^  navigation,  but  on 
catering  the  Ipwe^  country,  spread  outi  become  broad  and  ^hal- 
IpWi  even,  ceasing  to  be  navigable  ior  a  long  distance.  The  Mis- 
sQj^l  aad  JSlissi&sifi^i,  are  perhaps  the  only  exceptions.  9ut 
tbo^e  which  rise  short  of  the  primitive  mountains  are  navigable 
irit^^ci^rcel^  any  iitercM^pn  to  theii;  sQ^cc^  which  are  ofteo 
in.Wtes.. .    ',•■.      . 

Jn  upper  Louisiana  thp^e  are  but  few  lakes  except  thoae  near 
the  heads  of  the  Miaaissippi-  The  lake  of  the  Woods,  the  lesser 
\Vinipec,  Leech  lake,  tied  Cedar  lake  (supposed  to  be  the  source 
of  the  Mississip^^Uake  ^e  Sable,  <&c.^e  the  moat  considerable 
ef,th^se.  There  ;».e  several  lakes  between  the  Missouri,  and 
tKe  Nr  yff,  chaui,  but  ^he  country  is  yet  but  little  known.  It  is 
supposed  that  Uke  VifinijpeC)  pe^hafia  the  largest  of  all  those  in- 
land seas,  comes  yritbin  the  territory  ot  the  United  States 

£ven  if  in  pur  limits  of  Louisiana^  v(e  should  he  bounded  by  a 
rifiie.4^.e  west,  from  that  Q^^hich,  terminates  the  liije  of  the 
United  States,  it  is  probable  that  the  Kcurce  ,of  the  ^is.si»sippi 
is  further  north  than  the  southern  side  of  lake  Winipec-  This 
lake  receives  a  number  of  very  considerable  rivers,  and  is  dis- 
charged into  Hudson's  Bay  by  Nelson^s  river ;  it  is  connect- 
ed with  other  lakes  to  the  north-west,  and  has  from  the  rivers 
emptying  into  it,  an  inconsiderable  portage  to  the  waters  of  lake 
Superior. 


LAKES  It  WtfinS.-lOOK  I.  IT 

In  lower  Loimisnaf  there  aie  a  great  number  of  lakes  from 
the  refluent  waterv  of  the  Mitsitsippit  and  from  the  upland 
fttrcams  which  low  themaclteB  in  the  lorel.  These  will  be  cnu- 
ynerated  and  more  particutorly  described,  in  the  account  of  the 
state  of  Louisiana,  as  also  the  lakes  Pontchartrain,  and  Maure- 
jias,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi ;  which  although  usual' 
ly  known  tinder  the  name  of  lakes,  might  with  more  propriety 
be  considered  bs  bayS)  as  they  are  immediately  connected  with 
the  sea. 

in  this  place  I  shall  gif«  some  detailed  account  of  the  great 
rivers;  ftSBcrving  Che  less  considerable  for  the  place  wliere  I 
fhM  Bpetik  oTthe  sections  of  country  which  they  trarerse. 

THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

To  enter  into  all  those  particulars  respecting  this  nd>le  ri* 
ver^  which  writers  have  deemed  worthy  of  notice,  would  far  ex- 
ceed the  bounds  !to  which  I  am  confined.  Beaides,  it  is  so  well 
known  from  dw  writnigs  of  many  intelligent  persons,  that  by  en- 
tering  into  such  detail^  my  task  wouid  be  little  more  tlian  that  of 
cottipitatibn.  The  Mtssiosippi  (or  Mitcfaasip{M,  the  fiither  of 
stneasini)  justly  rinks  amoogst  the  most  magnificent  rivers  in 
the  world ;  whether  we  consider  hs  extent,  the  astonishing  awm- 
bet  and  magnitude  -of  its  tributary  riven,  or  the  amaxistg  scops 
«f  fertile  hinds  wiiich  it  traverses ;  watering  at  least  a  fourth  x£ 
the  habitable  part  of  North  America.  The  comparison  to  the 
Kile  not  uhfipequeotly  made,  b  far  from  giving  just  conceptiom 
cf  its  magnitude  and  impoitance.*  h.  is  only  with  the  equally 
tioble  and  vast  rivers  of  the  New  World,  it  can  be  properly  as- 
biraihilied.  it  differs  £rom  these  m  one  particular ;  instead  of  a 
ichannel  iproparthmed  to  its  extent4und  magnitude,  it  gives  hs  tri- 
bute to  the  voedB  by'innunwrabiie  out^lets  and  natural  canals. 
Tiie  Dr/radf  this  river  is  said  to  extend  several  degrees  of  lon- 
gitude, the  f^oklbrnied  with  earth  brougiit  down  by  the  stream. 
I^'haps  at  <ioe  period  of  the  world,  this  river  gave  its  waters  to 


*  A  Bt»iking  diilereiwe  4i,  ^at  the  inundation  of  the  one  it  regaiided 
as  a  blessing',  and  of  the  other  as  a  misforlune;  the  thin  sandy  soil  of 
&g«)rptif«ii(IiHrM^theifevtibnng^  ^Use  deposited  by  the  Kile,  while  the 
aOu«Mm  of^lfaeMissi»^i|a  4U;e  «f  cxiuiastless  fortilxtr. 


S8 


lirWS  OF  tOVlSIANA./ 


M'.i  I 


llif 


i,;r^:' 


the  ^rrut  reservoir  v/'wU  anniucli  mtijeHiy  ai  the  Ainaaon«  or  Uto 
la  Piuuo,  but  the  MiaaiuMpi]!  nmy  clukUtn^amy  of  thoio  fivers 
lor  the  extent  of  Its  nnvigtition  mdU  th^  quality  of  habitable  and 
fortilp  soil  on  Uh  borUvri  Miil  on  the  bordura  of  hit  "  thousand 


Hona 


u 


The  alluvioni)  or  ruthor  immwae  tractt  of  country  form^tl 
by  thl»  rivurt  cunfetUute  ita  moat  ;remarkahlo  feature  i  proving 
inconteitably  un  anti(|ulty  equal  at  louat  to  that  of  the  old 
vrorld.  These  conftlUute  a  vuUey  on  an  average  thirty  niilca 
vide  frono  the  mouth  of  the  Ohiot  to  Hod  river,  where  I  conii- 
der  the  Delta  aacommencintf  on  th«  wefi;ern  aide.  Thia  valley  It 
confined  Uy  what  may  be  termed^  ai  dUtinguiah$;d  from  the  al- 
iuviuna,  primitive  ground.  The  river  h  thought  to  br  approach' 
ing  in  its  general  course  the  upland  or  primitive  groundi  on  the 
eastern  side^  it  li  certain  that  it  waahea  the  uplai:;d  intet)  or 
twelve  pluccHi  in  the  (ViMtat^o  before  mentioned,  and  aeldoro  or 
ever  recedes  from  it  more  tlian  ton  miles:  on  the  western  aide  it 
approaches  the  uplatKl  but  in  one  place,  a  few  miloa  below  tho 
river  St.  Francis,  and  that  within  a  quarter  of  a  milet  it  after- 
Varda  in  no  piuce  comes  nearer  than  twenty  miles.  The  watier 
which  iisuca  from  it,  on  this  side,  during  the  flooda,  returns  into 
it  ag{/m  by  the  St.  Francis,  Arkansiis,  and  Had  river,  with  more 
ease  than  on  the  eastern  aide  above  Iberville  and  Man^hac }  but 
immense  quantitica  of  water  on  both  sides  remain  stagnant  in 
Bwumpa  and  lakea.  Below  thi«,  the  water  ia  carried  oft'  td  the 
flea,  by  the  numerous  out'lets  on  IxHh  sides  {  the  primitive  ground 
diverging  on  either  hand  and  leaving  a  larger  apace,  eighty  or 
ninety  miles  in  width.  There  are  the  moat  evidnnt  proofs  that 
tlio  Mississippi*  has  nt  different  periods  meandered  In  a  thousand 
ehunneis,  still  visi  ble,  in  tlte  valley  between  the  primitive  ground 
on  either  hand.  There  are  lakes  of  considerable  extent  which 
have  (nuch  the  appearance  of  the  river,  and  the  ridgea  of  high 
ground  every  where  through  this  alluvion  shew  that,  they  once 
constituted  its  banks  i  these  ridges,  from  the  accumulation  of  ve- 
getable mutter,  havcbicoute  even  higher  than  the  present  banks, 
•and  are  very  rarely  inundated.*  The  banks  of  what,  are  called 

I      *  It  is  A  common  idos  that  the  ^'laiiiisippl  runt  u/mn  a  ri^f0%  but 
this  is  ealily  explained  when  we  recollect,  that  the  alluviona  evqQ  of  the 


lUVEftS  U  L.VKBS  ~41U0X  I 


•A 


kyouv,  (ciut-kli  ffom  the  rivor)  are  Rcncrally  \u\iUcv  than 
thoBO  of  tho  "Sver  from  the  »ume  rcutoa;  ihcy  were  umluuUltU* 
ly  »t  one  V-^  •'^^  ti>^  chunnelu  of  the  MuHihtiippi. 

It  b  t  jico«tHi)gly  Uin\cult  to  give  an  itiettuf  the  country  bor^ 
dcring  ou  the  MiimiMaippi  below  the  mouth  of  the  Uhto.  Homo 
have  repreaenteil  the  river  &h  running  through  a  nwunipt  other»i 
that  during  the  season  of  flootla  it  may  l>e  con»iUercil  as  a  river 
thirty  miles  wide  { the  whole  country  in  this  extent  being  unUtf 
water.  It  caniiut  properly  be  called  a  aMfumfl  according  to  tho 
understanding  of  the  word*  that  is*  an  almost  irr^-ulainiabK)  nxu- 
rass,  or  marsh ;  there  are  certainly  large  tracts  during  tho  flood* 
completely  inundated,  particularly  below  Kud  river,  but  are  «gain 
di7  when  they  subside.  If  the  reader  were  to  conceive  un  idea 
that  the  valley  or  alluvion  of  the  Mississippi,  ia  at  tho»e  times 
covered  by  a  continued  shct  of  water,  he  would  be  deceived: 
but  when  the  flood  ia  at  its  height,  tho  whole  valley  or  idluviou 
country,  is  replenished  with  water,  every  where  iu  motion, 
through  the  innumerable  canals  and  lakes  scattered  through  it| 
making  hs  way  towards  the  sea,  leavings  however,  Urge  tracts 
perfectly  di*y.  Above  Med  river  the  ground  is  rising  every  year 
by  the  accumulation  of  vegeutble  substance,  and  by  the  depos'w 
tion  of  earthy  matter  where  the  ground  uverflows^— the  peiioil  is 
not  distant  when  the  greater  part  will  be  entirely  abuve  the 
reach  of  inundation.  Above  this  river  several  sottleunentii  liad 
been  formed  on  the  rivers  and  bayoux  between  tl^e  MissiHHip[u 
iind  uplundi  and  for  live  or  six  yeai's  were  notaflVcied  by  \\\c  ri&« 
iup  of  the  waters;  it  was  not  UcU  the  extraoru;>iary  ilood  of 
1811,  that  most  of  them  were  ubaudonud,  yet  such  a  quantity  of 
sediment  was  deposited  that  year,  that  it  will  require  a  floud  oil 
considerably  greater  height  to  afl'ect  them.  It  may  be  vvoithy  of 
remark,  that  the  alluvial  hnnks  are  generuily  highest  ou  the 
western  side;  there  are  many  places  where  the  river  due:,  not 
break  over  them  in  the  highest  Poods,  by  twelve  or  eigliitcii 
inches,  though  th»  ground  is  overflowed  iu  the  rear,  luavitig  on 


P 


/^ 


mott  trifling  rivulet  will  be  higher  ou  the  \>M\k.  ihun  at  some  Uiktancn 
from  it  I  the  groaacr  mtd  niuiu  weighty  miitirr  brought  iluvvn  by  the 
streain  beiug  dniiuaited  <k'st«  suvi.  Uke  ligUlci*  iiui  ij^cr  ut  u  i^rc at^-v  Jii< 
tance,  and  the  last. 


4d 


VIEWS  OF  LOUTSIANrA. 


ly  narrow  strips  fifty  or  an  huiulred  yferda  wide.  The  settle* 
xnents  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  to  Natchex  are  chiefly  oo  this 
side ;  on  the  eastern)  there  are  scarcely  any  imprcvttmeMs  ex- 
cept on  the  upland. 

Above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohb  to  the  Missouri)  the  vall^v  is 
not  more  than  half  the  width  it  posaeaaes  beloW)  and  the  high 
land,  er  bluffs,  generally  on  the  western  tiide,  but  of  different 
character;  instead  of  high  clay  banks  they  are  £ftced  with  lime* 
stone,  in  places  rising  in  precipices  to  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  in  height.  This  perhaps  constitutes  one  half  of  tho  weat^ 
em  bank.  The  proportion  of  land  subject  to  inundation  on 
cither  side  is  inconsiderable,  nor  are  there  many  out'letsf  but 
there  are  still  large  lakes  scattered  through  the  bottom,  which 
was  form<?rly  the  bed  of  the  river. 

It  has  been  suggested  by  some,  that  there  was  formerly  an 
out-let  from  Lake  Mitchigan,  to  the  Mississippi  l^  the  tlUnois. 
This  is  supported  by  the  well  known  facts,  that  the  water  of 
nearly  all  the  lakes  drained  by  the  St.  Lawrence,  has  sank  sere* 
ral  feet,  and  the  evident  marks  in  the  present  channel  of  the  11^ 
linois,  of  having  once  contained  a  stream  of  much  greater  roagr 
nitude.  This  opinion  might  be  strengthened  by  another  fact  with* 
in  my  own  observation.  The  bluff  which  encloses  the  alluvion  on 
the  eastern  side,  at  present  distant  several  miles  from  the  river^ 
appears  in  placet,  in  bare  precipices  of  limestone  rock,  similar  to 
that  immedieiely  on  the  river,  and  -what  is  singular,  hears  evi-> 
tient  marks  of  attrition  by  the  waters,  to  the  height  of  at  least 
ten  feet  above  the  highest  floods.  Tlie  same  thing  may  be  also 
observed  on  the  western  side.  Possibly  the  rivrr  n»ay  have  been 
once  six  or  seven  miles  wide  at  this  place,  and  included  be* 
tween  the  bluffs.  Or  there  may  have  been  a  lake,  which  by 
the  operation  of  various  causes  may  have  '-^een  drained.  Thik 
idea  suggested  itself  to  me  from  the  examination  of  a  remark-* 
tible  place  on  the  Mississippi,  eight  or  ten  miles  above  the  vii« 
lage  of  Cape  Girardeau,  called  the  Grand  Tower,  which,  though 
scarcely  known,  hiay  be  justly  considered  one  of  the  greatest  cu' 
riosities  of  the  river.  At  this  place  the  bVuffs  on  the  western  ude 
are  close  to  the  river ;  and  on  the  eastern,  a  narrow  bottom  lies 
between  it  and  the  bluffs ;  the  hills  on  both  sides  at  this  point)  seem 


RIVERS  &  LAKES.^BOOKI. 


41 


to  converge,  and  from  the  appearance  of  huge  fragments  of  rocV, 
one  ift  led  to  believe  that  here  wat  formerly  a  cataract.  The  tow- 
er ift  one  of  these  fragments,  about  sixt>'  yards  from  the  western 
bank,  (which  is  a  steep  rock)  and  is  about  fifty  feet  in  height ;  its 
form  nearly  circuJar,  some  handsome  cedars  growing  on  the  top : 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  there  is  another  huge  detached 
rock,  but  round  which  the  water  doe*  not  flow  except  in  extraor- 
dinary floods}*  between  this  and  the  blufl^s  there  are  several 
other  fragments  of  rock,  possessing  every  appearance  of  once 
having  formed  a  regular  chain,  through  which  the  Mississippi, 
by  the  aid  of  time,  or  some  convulsion  of  nature  has  made  itself 
a  chanhet;  It  is  a  dangerous  place  and  difficult  to  ascend,  as  well 
as  to  descend  in  safety.  Between  this,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio, 
there  are  to  be  seen  in  variouf  places,  detached  rocks  on  the 
shot«,and  on  the  beads  of  islands,  evidently  rolled  down  by  some 
mighty  and  unusual  current.  ' 

It  is  the  opinion  of  many  persons,  that  the  Mississippi  is  a 
continuance  of  the  Missouri;  of  this  there  can  be  little  doubt. 
The  Mississippi  after  its  junction  with  that  river  assumes  its  ap- 
pearanec  and  character  in  every  particular  except  the  general 
course  i  the  colour  of  their  waters  can  be  distinguished  for  six-* 
ty  mites ;  but  in  the  fdluvia,  sand  bars,  islands,  rafts,  current, 
and  the  timber  on  its  borders,  the  Missouri  is  preserved.  Per- 
haps it  might  have  been  more  proper  to  have  given  a  new  name 
to  the  river  which  has  been  the  result  of  this  junction. 

Above  the  Missouri,  the  Mississippi  is  clear  and  limpid,  like 
the  Ohio,  and  bordered  by  a  country  extremely  b^autiful^  with 
many  fertile  spots,  but  is  not  to  be  compared  to  that  on  the 
Ohio  for  settlements.  The  greater  part  consists  of  naked  plains, 
which  promise  little  to  the  husbandman.  Excepting  the  cata* 
racts  of  St.  Anthony;  this  river  has  but  one  t  r  two  serious  in- 
terruptions  in  the  navigation  for  at  least  sixteen  hundred  miles 
above  St  Louis :  but  its  channel  generally  abounds  with  shoals, 
and  sand  bars,  the  current,  however,  gentle.  It  is  not  an  easy 
matter  to  point  out  exactly  its  source,  several  of  tlie  branches 

•  There  is  arcroarktblc  cavi  in  this  rock,  called  by  the  American^ 
the  Devirs  Oven ;  stories  arc  r  -lated  of  persons  having-  g'one  in  afld  nev- 
er returning'. 

.     t 


u 


ViEWa  OF  LOUISIANA,  rr 


/» 


/^ 


into  which  it  divides  near  its  head,  might  claim  this  honoi*.  It 
does  not  take  its  rise  in  a  mountainous  country,  and  yet  it  must 
be  of  coiisidei'able  height,  from  the  number  of  imik>rtant  rivers 
>vhich  ilow  from  tlie  surne  neighbouiiiood.  The  country  abounds 
in  lakes  and  extensive  marshes,  among  which  the  Mississip^ 
pi  takes  its  rise.  A  narrow  ridge  of  high  iand  separates  it  from 
the  waters  of  lake  Wtnipcc.  Red  Cedar  lake,  in  lat.  47"  38'  is 
considered  by  Pike  as  its  soiurce,  this  is  but  a  few  miles  from  Red 
lake  in  which  Red  river  takes  its  rise ;  here  is  therefore  an  easy 
communicadon  with  tne  waters  which  discharge  themselves  into 
Hudson's  bay.  .  ^ 

Tiie  appearance  of  the  Mississippi  in  descending,  ^^ies  but 
little.  On  entering  from  the  Missouri  we  find  ourselves  in  a 
more  spacious  river :  in  places  where  large  islands  divide  the 
current,  it  spreads  to  a  great  width,  sometimes  of  several  miles } 
yet  when  tliis  is  not  the  case  the  cnannel  of  the  river  is  but  lit- 
tle wider  than  at  the  Mandan  villages,  though  at  that  place  it  is 
only  filled  in  the  season  of  high  water.  The  navigation  is  con- 
sidered dangerous  from  the  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio, 
on  account  of  the  great  number  of  sawyers  and  rafts.  Below  this 
fine  river,  no  perceptible  difference  takes  place  in  point  cf  mag- 
nitude, and  from  the  St.  Francis  to  Red  river,  the  genera)  width 
scarcely  exceeds  that  of  the  Missi  uri.  At  Point  Coupe6  iv  as- 
sumes a  more  majestic  appearance,  and  from  this  place  con- 
tinues a  course,  uninterrupted  by  islands  and  sand  bars,  with  a 
current  gradually  diminishing 

The  adjacent  scenery  is  as  little  varied.  The  banks  are  cover- 
ed  with  cotton  wood  trees,  of  enormous  size,  thf*  tops  apparently 
as  level  as  if  made  so  by  design.  Scarcely  any  other  tree  grows 
on  the  island.  Below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the  cypress  makes 
its  appearance  in  the  benC?^  where  the  ground  is  lower  than  on 
the  points  and  subject  to  be  overflown.  The  arundo  giganticay 
appears  about  the  same  place,  on  the  spots  of  ground  least  sub- 
ject to  uiundatlon.  It  grows  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet,  forming 
an  impervious  thicket.  The  long  moss,  or  Spanish  beard  begins 
to  be  set-n  below  the  Arkansas,  and  gives  a  gloomy  appearance 
to  the  woods.  The  falling  in  of  the  banks  is  amongst  the  most 
remarkable  features  of  this  river;  sometimes  whole  acres  with 


RIVEnS  &  LAKES.— BOOK  I. 


43 


^c  trees  growing  on  them  are  precipitated  into  the  stream,  are- 
atin g  frig htf ul  impediments  to  the  " vigation, and  not  unfrequent- 
ly  overwhelming  boats  moored  near  the  shore.  In  time,  the  trees 
thus  fallen  in,  become  sawyers  and  planters ;  the  first  so  named 
from  the  motion  made  by  the  top  when  acted  upon  by  the  cur- 
rent* the  others  are  the  trunks  of  trees  of  sufficient  size  to  resist 
it.  There  are  also  frequently  seen  at  the  heads  of  islands,  im- 
mense collections  of  drift  wood,  piled  up  to  a  great  height, 
thrown  confusedly  together  and  closely  matted :  here  are  found, 
boats,  canoes,  planks,  and  a  great  variety  bf  timber,  brought  down 
by  the  rivers  of  a  hundred  climates  and  soils,  and  heaped  togeth- 
er in  chaos.  These  are  amongst  the  most  dangerous  places  in 
the  course  of  the  navigation.*  The  current  rushes  towards  them 
with  amazing  velocity,  and  it  is  with  great  difficulty  and  the  ex- 
ertion of  skill,  that  they  are  avoided.  It  is  therefore  dangerous 
to  float  after  night 

The  Mississippi  is  remarkable  for  the  muddiness  of  its  wa^ 
ters,  a  quality  altogether  derived  from  the  Missouri,  but  is  less 
turbid  than  that  river ;  the  waters  above  the  junction,  being  clear, 
the  9'''*^ssion  of  the  Illinois,  Ohio,  and  other  clear  streams  tend- 
ing also  to  render  it  more  limpid  than  the  Missouri.  It  is  not 
from  the  falling  in  of  the  banks,  as  is  supposed,  that  this  mud- 
diness proceeds ;  this  is  scarcely  sufficient  to  supply  what  is  de- 
posited by  the  river  on  sand  bars,  islands,  &c.  between  the  up- 
per Missouri,  (from  whence  the  earth  forming  it  is  carried)  and 
the  mouth  of  the  river. 

There  is  a  surprising  diffbremje  in  the  navigation  of  this  tru- 
ly noble  river,  in  the  ordinary  stages  of  water  and  during  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  floods.  There  have  been  instances  of  persons  de- 
scending from  St  Louis  to  New  Orleans,  in  ten  days ;  the  dis- 
tance, however,  is  much  shortened  by  being  able  to  cut  off  points, 
and  to  go  through  channels  impracticable  in  low  water.  The  usu- 
al time  in  lew  water  is  from  four  to  six  weeks.  In  ascending, 
fifty  days  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  is  considered  a  good  voyage, 
but  two  months  is  the  most  usual  time ;  oars  and  poles  are  al- 

*  For  a  more  minute  account  of  the  diffioultles  of  the  navigation,  and 
for  many  interesting  details,  I  refer  the  reader  to  the  Ohio  and  Alissij^ 
Mppi  Navigator 


/> 


J" 


44 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


L^^s  used  for  the  purpose  of  navigating  the  boats,  but  the  cor^ 
delle,  and  sails,  are  also  of  great  importance.  Ip  the  course  of  a 
voyage  it  is  rare  that  tlieru  are  not  six  or  eight  days,  of  ssaHnf^i 
which  is  a  greut  relief  to  the  hands,  as  the  boat  is  then  propel- 
led against  the  current  without  their  assistance,  sometimes,  thir- 
ty  miks  a  day.  In  very  light  winda.  the  sails  are  hoisted  and  aX' 
though  Tiot  sufficient  alone  to  cause  the  boat  to  ascend,  yet  af- 
ford considerable  help.  Th^  boats  usually  employed  are  from 
ten  to  tiiirty  tons  burthen;  as  high  as  Natchez,  schooners  of  fif- 
ty tonii  often  ascend.  Therf  are,  besides,  between  the  places 
just  mentioned,  a  kind  cf  boats  of  a  peculiar  copistruction,  much 
in  use,  and  carrying  often  eight  or  ten  tons:  they  appear  to  be 
formed  of  a  single  tree,  but  in  reality  out  of  three  of  the  largest 
size;  two  are  hollowed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  the  sides,  and 
a  third  for  the  bottom :  they  are  then  joined  together  so  as  to  make 
a  very  durable  and  strong  boat,  easily  managed,  »Qd  the  most 
safe  agdinst  hurricanes  and  vicrfent  winds. 

The  Mississippi  carries  generally  15  feet  water  from  the 
saouth  of  the  Missouri  to  the  Ohio,  from  thence  to  the  Red  ri- 
ver, it  seems  to  increase  in  depth :  at  this  place  it  has  aa  many 
fatiioms)  and  at  New  Orleans  not  less  than  forty.  On  the  bar, 
there  are  usually  from  twelve  to  fourteen  Seet,  aUbough  the  wa- 
ter rises  at  the,  mouth  <^  the  Ohio  fifty  feet,  and  but  little  dim- 
inution is  experienced  before  we  pass  Natchez;  atB&ton  Rouge 
it  is  not  more  than  25  feet,  at  New  Orleans  only  fifteen,  sad  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  is  scarcely  perceptible. 

The  floods  of  the  Mississippi  usually  begm  in  April ;  com- 
mencing with  the  first  flood  of  the  Missouri  which  is  usually 
in  March,  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice ;  this  is  followed  by  the 
Missisfiippi  above  the  junctipni  afterwards  by  the  Ohio,  and 
other  rivers.  The  great  flood  of  the  Missouri  begins  io  June, 
shortly  after  which  those  of  the  Mississippi,  iu  consequence  at- 
tain their  greatest  height  It  subsides  in  Augus^.  A  very  unu- 
sual occurrence  took  place  this  winter  (1812)  in  the  month  of 
I)ec^mber»  the  river  rose  to  within  two  or  three  feet  of  the  high- 
est water  and  continued  to  be  high  until  the  latter  end  of  the 
xnontb*  The  oldest  inhabUabta  bad  never  witnessed  sny  tbifig  of 
the  kind.  I 


RLVERS  ll  LAKE8.^B00K  I. 


4S 


MlSSOUltt. 

I  have  already  observed  that  this  is  much  the  most  consider- 
able  of  anjr  of  the  rivers  which  swell  the  Mississippi*  and  one  of 
the  most  wonderful  in  the  world.  It  enters  the  Mississippi 
nearly  at  right  angles  in  lat.  38**  55' ;  the  confluence  is  by  no 
means  comparable  to  that  of  the  Obioy  principally  owing  to  an 
island  at  the  entrance.  The  course  of  the  river  in  ascending  b 
little  north  of  west  to  the  Flattest  Above  this,  its  course  is  nearr 
ly  N>  W.  until  we  reach  the  Mandan  villages,  in  lat.  46.  From 
this  point  the  distance  to  the  Mississippi  is  less  than  from  the 
Platte.  From  the  northernmost  part  of  the  great  bend)  above  the 
iMandans,  and  in  lat.  47°  wc  ascend  nearly  west;  the  course  of 
the  three  forks,  Jefierson)  Madison,  and  Gallatinj  is  nearly  S. 
W.  and  S. 

^  The  current  of  this  river  is  at  least  a  fourth  greater  than  that 
of  the  Mississippi.  To  the  Platle,  it  is  amazingly  swift,  and  stem- 
med with  great  difficulty,  abounding  with  shoals  and  sand  bars, 
sawyers,  rafts  projecting  from  the  shore,  and  islands.  It  is  al- 
most impracticable  to  descend  in  fiat-bottomed  boats,  even  in  the 
highest  stages  of  the  water :  in  barges  great  care  and  dexterity 
are  requisite.  It  is  far  from  being  agreeable  in  appearance,  un- 
less we  consider  the  pleasure  derived  from  contemplating  its 
wonderful  swiftness  and  force.  Above  the  Platte,  the  Missouri) 
though  not  lea&  swift  in  current,  is  rendered  more  easy  of  navi- 
gation by  the  large  sand  bars,  and  clear  banks,  which  admit  of 
towing :  but  from  the  scarcity  of  wood  of  a  proper  kind,  it  is 
necessary  to  lay  in  a  sufiicient  slock  of  oars  and  poles.  To  the 
faUst  two  thousand  miles  further,  it  preserves  the  same  charac- 
ter; the  navigation  however  becomes  less  dangerous,  or  difficult, 
excepting  from  the  shoals,  which  in  low  water  are  abundant. 
Above  th   falls  or  cataracts^  there  is  a  clear  fine  river  five  hun- 


f  About  tventjr  mifcs  up,  eacft  river  mskcH  a  sudden  torn— the  Mlff- 
souri  8.  W.  and  the  Mississippi  N.  £.  but,  I  dr>  not  know  upon  what 
ground  it  is  asserted,  that  after  having  descended  either  rirer  fbr 
aeteral  diiysy  the  voyager  will  find  lums«4f  within  a  days  march  of  the 
other. 


46 


VIEWS  OF  LOmSUNA. 


dred  miles  to  the  three  forkS)  affording  better  navigation  than 
any  part  of  the  Missouri^  hlthough  the  ciiannel  is  generally  nar- 
row and  sometimes  confined  between  lofty  mountains.  The  three 
forks  are  all  fine  rivers^  and  receive  a  great  number  of  smaller 
Streams.  In  ascending  the  Missouri,  sails  are  of  more  impor- 
tance than  on  any  of  the  wiestern  rivers.  The  openness  of  the 
country  gives  scope  to  the  winds,  which  in  the  spring  and  sum- 
nier  usually  blow  from  the  S.  E.  and  suit  the  general  course  of 
the  river :  I  frequently  ascended,  notwithstanding  the  swiftness 
of  the  current,  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  per  day  for  three  or 
four  days  in  succession. 

The  Missouri  is  remarkable  for  its  large  and  smaller  bends* 
The  greater  we  have  already  seen  from  the  general  cr  .  ae  of  the 
river;  it  would  therefore  not  be  surprising  that  it  siiould  after- 
wards turn  south  and  take  the  course  of  the  Mississippi.  The 
small  bends  are  where  the  river  pursues  a  zig-zag  course  fot 
forty  or  fifty  miles,  constantly  returning  upon  its  steps. 

The  Missouri  receives  all  its  principal  rivers  from  the  S  W. 
side.  The  extent  of  country  to  be  drained  on  the  N.  E.  side  is  to 
the  other,  as  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  is  to  the  western. 
This  is  owing  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Mississippi,  and  th^  N.  W. 
chain  of  lukes.  The  distance  from  the  Mandan  villages  to  the 
British  establishment  on  the  Red  river  of  Winipec,  is  but  a  few 
days  journey. 

The  floods  of  this  river  usually  begin  early  in  March^  and 
there  is  a  continued  succession  of  them  until  the  last  of  July ; 
the  river  subsiding  and  again  rising  as  the  different  rivers  bring 
down  their  annual  tributes.  It  so  happens,  that  seldom  more 
than  two  great  rivers  are  high  at  the  same  period.  Many  of  these 
floods  are  never  fell  ?n  the  Mississippi.  But  the  great  rise  of  the 
Missouri  itself,  from  the  melting  of  the  snows,  takes  place,  about 
the  tenth  of  June,  and  begins  to  subside  about  the  latter  end  of 
July.  In  some  of  the  northern  branches,  the  ice  does  not  break 
up  until  late  in  the  season :  about  one  thousand  miles  up  the  Misr 
souri,  I  saw  a  la.'«^e  cake  of  ice  floating  in  the  river  on  the  last 
of  May. 

There  is  little  variation  in  the  width  of  this  river  from  its 
mouth  to  the  cataracts.  In  some  places  it  spreads  consider^blx, 


RnrERS  &  LAKES—BOOK  I. 


«l 


and  in  these)  sandbars  fanpede  the  navigation  in  low  water  :  at 
these  Umes  the  riTet' is  reduced  in  places  to  less  than  a  fourth 
of  its  usual  breadth*  between  sand-bars  wiiich  advance  into  it| 
and  a  high  bank.  But  when  the  channel  is  full,  the  river  even  at 
the  Maadans,  appeared  to  me  not  less  broad  or  majestic,  tiiail 
does  the  Mississippi  at  New  Orleans. 

The  cataracts  of  the  Missouri,  from  every  description,  are, 
next  to  those  of  Niagara,  the  most  stupendous  in  the  world.  The 
descent,  in  the  distance  of  eighteen  miles,  according  to  the  esti- 
mation of  Lewis  and  Clark,  is  362  feet  9  inches. 

The  first  great  pitch     98  feet 


— •  second 
^  third 
—  fourth 


19  — 

47  —  8  inches 

S6  — 


besides  a  number  of  smaller  ones.    The  width  ok'  the  riveris 
ai)out  three  hundreci  and  fifty  yards. 

The  whole  extent  of  navigation  of  this  river  which  has  no 
other  cataract  or  considerable  impediment,  from  the  highest 
point  on  Jefferson  river,  the  largest  of  the  three  forks,  to  its  en- 
trance into  the  Mississippi,  is  three  thousand  and  ninety-six 
miles ;  no  other  tributary  stream  in  the  world  possesses  such  a 
navigation. 

ARKANSAS. 

The  Arkansas,  next  to  the  Missouri,  is  the  most  consid.* 
erable  tributary  of  the  Mississippi.  In  length  it  is  nearly  two 
thousand  five  hundred  miles,  and  navigable  at  proper  seasons 
nearly  the  whole  distance.  In  many  places  its  channel  is 
broad  and  shallow,  at  least  above  the  rapids,  so  as  to  render  na- 
vigation almost;  impracticable.  Until  eight  or  nine  hundred 
miles  from  its  'jaouth,  it  receives  no  considerable  streams,  owing 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  waters  of  the  Missouri,  of  the  £Lansas,  8cc.. 
on  the  one  side,  and  those  of  Red  river  on  the  other.  The  chief 
rivers  which  fall  into  it,  are  the  Verdigris,  the  Negracka,  Cana- 
dian river,  Grand  river,  Sec.  Several  are  remarkable  for  being 
stron(|;ly  impregnated  with  salt}  the  Arkansas  itself,  at  Qtertcnn 
seasons  is  said  to  be  brackish . 


M 


yrcWS  01    LOUISIANA. 


The  lands  on  thit  river  for  six  or  eight  hundred  miles  up, 
are  desci'ibed  as  very  fine  and  capable  of  uffording  setUementSi 
though  principally  untirabered.  For  a  long  distance  up,  tko  flat 
lands  on  either  side  are  intersected  with  nmnerous  bayouX.^-— 
There  is  a  remarkable  cmnmunication  between  the  Arkansas 
and  White  river,  by  a  chaiuiel  or  bayou  connecting  the  two  ri<* 
vers  with  a  currenli  setting  alternately  into  the  ooe  or  the  other, 
as  the  flood  in  either  happens  to  predominate. 

BED    RIVER 

Takes  its  source  in  the  CordiUcras>  at  no  great  distance 
north  of  Sta.  F6  In  length  it  is  about  the  same  with  the  Arkan- 
sas. It  is  navigable  six  or  eight  hundred  miles,  with  scarcely  any 
obstruction.  There  is  at  that  point  a  curious  raft,  formed  of  logs 
OQd  earth,  which  entirely  covers  its  channel  i  trees  are  growing 
upon  it,  and  one  might  pass  over  without  perceiving  the  river. 
Red  river  runs  in  a  valley  on  an  average  fifteen  miles  wide*  for 
at  least  eight  hundi*ed  miles,  which  is  every  where  intersected 
with  bayoux,  and  large  lakes.  The  navigation  meets  with  the 
first  impediment  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  up.  The  falls 
or  rapids  are  about  two  miles  in  length,  the  breadth  of  the 
river  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards.  They  are  occasioned  by  a  soft 
rock  of  free  stone :  the  greatest  pitch  in  low  water,  not  being  more 
than  eight  or  nine  inches.  Thb  viver  might  with  much  more  jus- 
tice  than  the  Mississippi,  be  called  the  American  Nile.  A  country 
lies  on  its  borders  more  extensive  than  Egypt,  and  of  a  soil  the 
richest  perhaps  in  the  world.  Its  waters,  which  are  not  potable,  arc 
very  red,  impregnated  with  some  mineral.  The  river  is  remark- 
ably narrow;  it  seldom  spreads  to  the  width  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  yards,  and  is  more  generally  contracted  to  one  hundi'ed ;  it 
is  also  exceedingly  crooked.  The  annual  swellj  which  is  Caiiy 
in  the  spring  of  the  year,  raises  the  water  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  when 
it  flows  with  great  rapidity :  but  during  the  summer  and  sbasonr 
of  low  water,  it  is  sunk  within  deep  and  ragged  clay  banks,  of  an 
imsightly  appearance,  and  has  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  feet  Of 
water.  The  ouMets  from  this  river  ai-e  more  numerous  t!hah 
even  from  the  Mississippi,  and  joined  by  streams  which  flow 
iYo:n  the  uplands,  or  pine  woods.  The  course  of  the  river  is  con- 


AIVERS  8c  LAKEI^BOOK  t.  4l 

Btantly  lUbject  to  change}  many  of  the  bayoux  which  tt  t>reBent 
appear  inconaiderable)  it  no  diatant  period  constituted  the  bed  ot 
the  principal  river. 

The  following  are  amongst  the  moat  considerable  tributariei 
of  tho  Mississippi  and  Missouri,  and  may  be  noticed  in  thit 
place. 

K.  toM  CORBSAtJXy 

The  westehi  branch  of  the  Miasissippi,  and  affording  the  best 
communication  with  Red  river  of  Winipec  This  river  is  as« 
cended  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  to  the  Leaf  river,  which 
entersfrom  the  N.  W.  s  the  Leaf  river  is  again  ascended  the  samo 
distance;  there  is  then  a  portage  of  one  half  mile  to  the  Otter 
Tail  lake,  the  principal  source  of  Red  river.  The  other  branch 
bf  the  riviere  des  Corbeaux,  bears  S.  W.  and  approaches  th6 
St.  Peters^ 

feT.  riLTBAfl 

iKnters  i\xt  Mississippi  about  forty  miles  below  the  fidls  of 
St.  Anthony.  It  is  a  fine  stream,  and  maybe  navigated  to  its  source^ 
a  thousand  miles ;  the  current  is  gentle,  and  in  places  scarce- 
ly perceptible ;  in  the  spring  and  summer  it  is  covered  with 
wild  fowl,  which  collect  here  for  the  purpose  of  breeding,  and 
I  iBnd  abundant  nourishment  in  the  wild  rice  which  g^ows  in  tho 
river  and  neighbouring  lakes.  Its  principal  branches  are,  Blue 
I  Earth  rivef.  Red  Wood  river,  and  Yellow  Wood  river. 

BBS  MOIKtil. 

i^ext  to  the  St.  teeters,  it  is  the  largest  of  tbie  rivefs  whicfi 

I  the  Mississipi^  receives  from  the  ureat,  above  the  confluence 

j  With  the  Missouri.    It  enters  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 

I  their  junction^  and  is  navig^ible  without  a  fall  or  scarcely  an  inter- 

ruptioni  to  the  Pelican  lak^;,  where  it  rises,  and  which  is  not  far 

from  the  Sioux  river  of  the  Missouri,  a  distance  of  about  eight 

[hundred  miles,  ^lackoou  river,  the  principal  branch  enters  on  th^ 

B.  W.  side,  and  is  navigable  several  hundred  miles.  There  are 

I  several  others  of  some  magnitude,  particularly  the  Red  Cedar 

I  river. 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


Ri 


GRAND  RIVBR, 

Enters  tlic  Missouri  on  the  N.  C  side,  about  350  miles  up ;  a 
fine  river,  navigable  six  hundred  miles ;  general  course  not  dis- 
tant from  the  Missouri.  Formerly,  when  the  traders  bound  for 
the  Mahas,  (800  miles  up  the  Missouri)  were  infested  by  the 
Kansas  Indians,  they  ascended  this  river,  and  then  crossed  to  the 
Missouri. 

RAirsAs, 

Rises  in  the  vast  plains  between  the  Arkansas  and  the  Platte. 
It  is  one  of  the  finest  rivers  of  the  Missouri,  though  inferior  to 
several  of  them  in  cittent.  The  principal  branches  are  the  Smoky 
Hill  Fork,  Grand  Saline,  Solomon's  Fork,  and  the  Republican 
Fork.  It  enters  the  Missouri  300  miles  up.  I  have  conversed 
tvith  hunters  who  had  ascended  it.  without  meeting  any  considc- 
ruble  obstacles,  more  than  three  hundred  leagues.  It  receives 
a  great  number  of  large  streams,  and  is  by  no  means  well  known. 
The  adjacent  country  is  generally  prairie,  and  the  cliffs  on  the 
river,  are  frequently  solid  rucks  of  gypsum. 

. THE  FLATT&, 

Is  the  longest  and  largest  of  the  rivers  which  discharge 
themselves  into  the  Missouri,  being  little  short  of  two  thousand 
miles,  and  yet  can  hardly  be  reckoned  a  navigable  stream.  The 
channel  is  extremely  wide  and  abounds  with  ever  varying  quick* 
sands.  Several  fine  navigable  rivers,  howcvei*,  discharge  them- 
selves into  it;  the  ElkHorn,  and  the  Wolf  river,  and  the  Padon* 
cas  Fork. 

_   ..  THE  YELLOW  STOrNB  (or  RQCHB  JAUITeO    ; 

Has  considerable  resemblance  to  the  Missouri  in  extent  and 
difficulty  ji  navigation,  and  is  tl.e  most  considerable  of  those 
rivers  which  discharge  themselves^into  it.  The  Missouri,  un- 
dergoes a  perceptible  change  after  the  junction.  In  seasons  of 
high  water  it  is  more  properly  a  torrent ;  the  descriptions  of  its 
rapidity  are  almost  incredible.  It  enters  the  Missouri  1 880  miles 
up.  The  principal  branches  are;  Big  Homj  Tongue  river,  and 
Clark's  river. 


RIVERS  k  LAKES— DOOK  I. 


54 


WniTB  B. — CUIENWE  B.— R.  A.  ^AqUB— SIQUX  »•      ^      ,. 

Might  be  reckoned  the  largest  rivers  any  where  else.  The 
Little  Missouri,  (90  leagues  above  the  Mandan  villages)  is  re- 
markable for  the  quantity  of  mud  which  it  carries  (lown«  At 
the  Afaria  rivers  a  large  stream  which  enters  the  Missouri  two 
thousand  miles  up,  the  muddiness  of  the  Missouri  iu  some  mea- 
sure ceases. 

There  are  several  considerable  rivers,  between  the  Missouri 
and  the  N.  western  takes.  Red  river  is  the  princifNjil ;  the  Assine- 
boin  is  its  principal  branch.  The  Mouse  river,  oi*  Saskashawin, 
Svhich  flows  into  the  Assineboin,  is  remarkable  for  taking  its  rise 
from  the  very  bonk  of  the  Missouri  > 

The  following,  is  a  table  of  the  navigable  rivers  of  Louisiana ; 
it  is  necessarily  incomplete,  but  from  it  sonte  rude  conjecture 
can  be  formed  as  to  the  immense  extent  of  navigation  which  it 
possesses.  |i 

TABLB  OF  NAVIGABLE  RIVERS  IN  LOUISIANA-— EXTENT  OW 

NAVIGATION. 


Principal  Ji.     |     Tributarie»     |  J^Tavi.  | 


.Renttirki. 


MI!i6I88IPPX. 


Sang  Sue  .  . 
Pike  R.  .  .  . 
det  Cvrbeaux 
St.  Peter*  .  . 
Turkey  R.  . 
Catfiah  R.  . 
del  Moine»  . 
Wayaconda 
laiwione  .  . 
SaltR.  .  . 
BufTaloe  .  . 
Cuivre  ... 
Mittiuri  .  . 
Maramek.t  . 
St.  PranciM 
White  R.  ,  . 
Arkantaa ... 
Red  B,    . '  •' . 


lois  ooBBKA  vs.  Leaf  8. 


[ST.   FXTERS  ... 


7)ES   MOIirXS... 


•iS.    ♦'■ . 


Blue  Earth  R. 
Red  Wood  R. 
Yellow  Wood  R 
Rackoon  R.  .  . 
Red  Cedar  R. 


0,000 
80 

120 

300 
l.OOOl^rhich 


800 


150 
3,096 
350 
800 
1,100 
2,000 
2,500 


By  some  considered  the  source 
of  the  Miss,  heads  in  Leech  liJce, 
and  is  larger  than  the  branch 
rises  in  Red  Cedar  lidke; 
considered  the  source  of  the  a^ 
bove  mentioned  river. 
About  250  miles  ^bove  the  mouth 
of  the  Missouri,  not  much  known. 


.■>!      '■ 


15,296|     .      ,  .'.-lilft'tii 

180  There  is  a  poHsge  of  one  mile 
from  the  hi  ;td  of  this  river  to  the 
Otter  Tail   lakei,  the  principal 
■  source  of  Red  River  of  Winipeo. 


tIBWS  OF  |/>UI8UNA. 


MJ<iMconnade 
IMine  R.     .  . 

O.  OtMft    .   . 

1  Churutuis 
SClMurlatUM 
Omndl^    '.  . 

MMHat    •  t   • 

UtUttR.P)«ttf 
Nodnwa  . .  . 
Piattt  .  .  . 
lf9yd*»R.  . 
Biff  Sioux  .  . 
White  Stom 
Biver  4J»qu« 

QulCourre  • 

Ponoai  .  .  . 
IFAiff  Ji.  .  . 


TylemR.  . 
Chieim^B. 


Ber>war*Mr'n» 
win4.Brn4m 

Ciinnon-ball  R. 
Knife  R.    4  .  * 

little  MteeouH 

Goeee  K'  •  •  i 
White  cMrlhil. 
YtikmSHn*   . 


Porcupine  R. 
IJ-y  R.    .  .  . 
BiffDryR.    . 
Muicle  Shell  R. 
Big  Home 
Mfanolei    . 
Fancv  R.    . 
Dear borne 
Maria  .  .  . 


m  ^.w.siai 

Id. 

id 

Id. 
N.  B.  aid* 
N.  £.  side     , 
8.  W.  aide 
N.B.aide 
N.  £.  aide 

8.  W.  upwards  of  8,000  viUea 
in  lanifth,  but  affords  little  or  no 
900  narigaticm. 

900  N.  B.  A  pWBt  of  repdeiTous  for 
the  traders*  and  the  Yankton 
band  of  Sioux. 

8  W.  A  handsome  river,  but 
not  navigable  ai^  great  distance. 

m  ».  W.  A  large  toe  river  i  its 
branches  not  knowui  SOO  yards  <it 
Its  mouth. 


Jeffbrsoil  Foi^ 
MPadisen  .  «  •' 
Gallatin  .... 


40 
600 

5(1 

106 

600 

1,800 

t 


8001 


8.  W  Kot  better  known  than 
White  r.  cr  i  400  yi^s  Wide  at 
ts  mouth. 

8.  W  side 

8-  W. 

8.W.  140  yards  wide 

8.  W.  Near  the  Mandan  vil. 

W.  134  yards  wide,  but  not 
navigable. 
MB.  300  yards  wide. 

8.  W.  %$8  yards  wide  at  the 
mouth  I  a  very  large  river,  equal 
in  length  to  the  Plattei  afibrdi 
much  better  navigation* 
astonithinriy  rai^a. 

N.  B.  119  ya^s  wide. 


but  is 


8.W  180 
8  W.  400 
8.  W.  100 
8  W.  100 
8.  W 
8.  W 


100 
180 


do. 
4o. 
do. 
dd. 
do. 
do. 


N.  B.  At  this  place  vhe  Mil* 
seuri  is  observed  to  have  llea^ 
ly.allitfiturbidneM* 


RIVERS  81  LAKEg..^001ll 


«9 


JhrineifmiH.    |   TributariM. 


■  of  8,000  wllea 
rord*  little  or  no 


tfrtttdeiTousfor 
d  ike  Yiunkton 

liome  river,  but 
y  grekt  distance. 

B  fine  ri?ep  t  it« 
»wn«dOOyMrdi^t 


tier  known  thui 
IQ  y<^  wide  Kt 


d»  wide,  but  not 

i§  wide. 

rd«  wide  at  the 


VBL.  •TOMS. 


UARAMaK 

ST.  rUANOII. 

WHITBSIVgR 


AKKAXeAB... 


RBD  nivia. 


Big  Home 
Tongut  K. 
Clark's  R 
Lewis's  R 
AigR 
Western  branch 
Penusco    .  . 
AuzCashe  . 
BlatkR,  .  . 
laoies  R>  <  • 
Rapid  John  . 
Red  River    . 
Verdigris     . 
Nagraca    .  . 
Canadian  R. 
Grand  R   .  . 
Qraod  Saline 
Strong  Saline 
Black  M.    .  . 


O.  OlAOB. 


KANSAS... 


rtATTB. 


Nangira 
Grand  R. 
The  Pork 
Uook's  R 
Vermillion  R. 
Smokcyhill  F. 
Grand  Saline 
Soloman's  Fork 
Rcpttldican  do. 
RlK>horn 
Wolf  R. 
Padoneas 

•tAOK  ji.  (w  )  Spring  R. 
Current 
eleven 

AbAOK  a.  (m  )  Washita 

Riviere  auBonif 
Tensa 
Catahoula 
Little  River 

aao  Rfva«.„.,LitUe  Missouri 
ofWinipeo     Asiinrboln 
Saskas  Uawin 

YaCRBii*»H« 


SABitra 

ChaffklUya.. 


JSTkivi. 


IE 


vmarn 


150 

150    This  river  is  not  perfectly 

50  known. 

80 
400 
150 
100 
300 
90U 
150 

aoo 


50  This  river  is  foraiod  by  the 
junction  of  the  Tcnsa,  Washita 
and  Little  river—There  are  nu< 
merous  navigable  bayoux  and 
■treams  from  Red  river,  but  no 
considerable  branches  except  the 
one  just  mentioned.   - 


These  rivers  are  mvigable 
fVoml5G  to  300  miles. 


iOO 
(SOU 


1.000 
400 


Heads  in  a  lake. 


.4* 


50    Rises  in  a  lake,  and  is  naviga- 
bit  from  the  very  source. 


This  is  s  long  river  which  flows 
15Ubctween  the  Mississippi  andtbe 
50^Washita,  and  sidd  to  communi* 
lOOcate  with  the  St.  Francis,   by 
means  of  a  lake,  with  which  tho 
waters  of  that  riv'>r  are  connected. 


150 
400 
300 


Called  a  bayott,  but  more  pro> 
pcrly  a  river. 

A  continuation  of  Red  river. 


I  have  hot  attempted  to  enumerate  the  different  navigable  bayous 
and  Itkes,  but  these  are  very  numerous :  and  doulalRSs  mnny  rivers  equal 
in  aise  to  the  Schuylkill,  have  not  been  placed  in  this  table,  the  country 
lieing  still  but  imperfectly  explored. 


H 


VIEWS  OP  LpUISUXii^ 


CHAPTER  V. 

KATVRAL  OR  INDIGENOUS  PRODUCTIONS'— AMrMAI)  VXGXTA- 

BLE)  AND  MINERAL. 

NOT  being  a  naturalist)  I  shall  only  attempt  to  give  some 
idea  of  the  extensive  field  which  lies  open  to  the  learned.  Were 
I  to  attempt,  upon  a  slender  knowledge,  to  give  a  scientific  ac- 
count, I  might  lead  the  reader  into  error. 

I  am  informed  that  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi,  to  the 
eye  of  the  naturalist,  has  a  character  altogether  different  from 
any  part  of  the  United  States,  and  that  except  New  Holland,  the 
world  does  not  afford  a  more  interesdng  field. 

Mr.  Bradbury*  has  made  an  extensive  collection  of  speci- 
mens, and  some  very  interesting  discoveries.  The  indefatigable 
research  of  this  gentleman,  savi  that  heart-engaged  enthusiasm^ 
which  the  student  of  the  grer":  K^k  of  nature,  has  ever  been  ob- 
served to  possess,  promise  a  valuable  acquisition  to  pleasurable 
and  useful  knowledge.  The  discoveries  of  Lewis  and  Clark* 
even  in  this  department,  are  said  to  be  very  important;  but,  froip 
the  expedition  necessary  in  the  movements  of  the  exploring  par- 
ties, and  the  necessity  of  a  continual  watchj  for  their  own  safety, 
they  could  not  posses  the  opportunity  and  leisure)  netessary  for 
the  examination  of  objects  more  minute. 

The  forest  trees,  and  plants  and  animals,  described  by  Mr. 
Jefferson,  and  other  writerS|  are  found  in  some  part  or  other  of 
this  territory ;  but  there  is  also  a  great  Variety,  peculiar  to  itself. 
The  subject  of  its  mineralogy  remains  untouched-  Mr.  Brad- 
bury has  discovered  nearly  one  hundred  flud  fi%  non-descrifit 
plants ;  near  twenty  of  which,  cannot  be  assigned  to  any  known 
gienemy  and  may  therefore  be  considered  as  forming  new  ones. 


•  Aboat  the  time  of  writing  the  following  view  of  the  natural  prth 
duetiont,  &e.  I  became  acqutiinted  with  Mr.  Bradbury,  and  submitted 
tb  i  sketch  to  him,  he  was  good  enough  to  make  some  corrections,,  and 
U  annex  teveral  interesting  notes.  Mr.  Bradbury  is  a  naturalist  of  emi* 
nence,  a  fellow  of  the  Linnean  Society,  and  engaged  to  come  to  this 
(sountry  to  pursue  his  researches. 


PRODUCTIOKS,  bc^-BOOK  I  ^ 

His  discOvertes  with  respect  to  the  animated  part  of  the  creation, 
and  the  subterraneous  riches  of  the  country,  are  not  less  impor* 
tant.  .  - 

AMIMALS. 

,  Agreeably  to  what  I  have  already  said,  I  shall  not  atten^pt  to 
give  any  catalogue  of  animals,  plants,  &c.  but  merely  notice 
those  most  remarkable. 

The  Grizzly  J9rar— -First  claims  our  attention.  This  animal,  is 
the  monarch  of  the  country  which  he  inhabits.  The  African  lioni 
or  the  tyger  of  Bengal*  are  not  mwe  terrible  or  fierce.  He  is  the 
enemy  of  man ;  and  literally  thirsts  for  human  blood.  So  far  fro^ 
shunning,  he  seldom  fieuls  to  attack ;  and  even  to  hunt  him.*  The 
Indians  make  war  upon  these  ferocious  monsters,  with  the  same 
ceremonies,  as  they  do  upon  a  tribe  of  their  own  species :  and  in 
the  recitsJ  of  their  victories,  the  death  of  one  of  them,  gives  th« 
warrior  greater  renown  than  the  scalp  of  a  human  eeemy. 

The  Grizzly  bear,  is  a  non-deacrifiti  and  much  the  largest  o2 
the  species.  He  is  three  times  the  size  of  a  common  brown 
bear,  and  six  times  that  of  an  European  one.  One  of  them,  kill- 
ed by  Lewis  and  Clark,  near  the  Porcupine  river,  about  two 
thousand  miles  up  the  Missouri,  measured  as  follows : 

Round  the  head        3  feet  5  inches 

Round  the  neck       3  feet  1 1  inches 

Length  8  feet  7^-  inches 

Round  the  fore-leg    1  foot  1 1  inches 

Talons—in  length  4^  inches 

Mr.  Manuel  Lisa,  the  first  who  ascended  to  this  country  Sor  tUe 
purpose  of  trade,  and  who  spent  nine  months  in  it,  informed  me 
that  they  sometimes  exceed  1,200  lbs.  in  weight,  and  that  oiie 
full  grown,  will  commonly  weigh  eight  or  nine  hundred.  H« 
possesses  an  amazing  strength,  and  attacks  without  hesitation 
and  tears  to  pieces  the  largest  buffaloe.  The  color,  is  usually 
such  as  the  name  indicates,  though  there  are  varieties,  from  black 
to  silvery  whiteness.  The  skins  are  highly  valued  for  muffs  and 
tippets ;  and  will  bring  from  twenty  to  fifiy  dollars  each. 


*  I  am  credibly  informed  that  he  has  been  known  to  puriue  (hte 
t|;^ck  of  a  hunter  an  hour  after  his  having^  passed. 


m 


VtEWfi  OP  LOmSIAlfA*^' r  i 


This  bear  is  not  vsualfy  seen  lower  than  the  Mandan  villa-' 
ges.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Roche  Jaune,  and  of  Little  Missouri* 
they  are  said  to  be  most  numerous.  They  do  not  wander  much 
in  the  prairies,  but  arc  usually  found  in  points  of  wood,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  large  streams.  The  Indians  hrrdly  ever  ven- 
ture into  the  fringe  of  wood,  which  borders  the  rivers,  in  that 
great  extent  of  open  country,  without  first  setting  up  a  toud  and 
cOiitinued  shout,  in  order  that  the  bears,  if  there  be  any<  may 
either  come  forth  to  attack  them,  or  retire,  if  they  happen  not 
to  be  so  disposed. 

In  shape,  he  differs' from  the  common  bear  In  being  propor-' 
tionably  more  long  and  lank.  He  does  not  climb  trees,  a  cireum' 
stance  which  has  enabled  hunters  with  whom  I  am  acquainted^ 
to  make  their  escape.  The  Indians  complain  that  some  of  their 
best  warriors,  have  fallen  victims  to  this  ffliimal.  Lewis  and 
Clark's  men,  on  several  occasions,  narrowly  csraped  from  theit 
attacks.  The  Grizzly  bear  is  sufficient  to  disprove,  the  idle  the- 
ories of  Buffbn  or  Raynal,  as  to  the  impotency  of  the  kew 
WORLD  in  the  production  of  animals. 

Antelofie^  was  thought  to  be  a  non*descript  species  of  deer,  it 
is  a  beautiful  little  animal,  and  is  found  on  the  Missouri  abov6 
the  Platte.  The  antelope  goes  in  flocks  of  several  hundreds;  the 
Indians  frequently  take  them,  by  driving  them  into  the  water 
and  attacking  thepi  with  clubs. 

Groaae  Comtf  so  called  from  the  large  size  of  the  horns, 
some  of  them  being  two  feet  in  length,  and  four  or  five  inches 
in  diameter;  they  are  extremely  shy,  and  climb  without  difficult 
ty  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  highest  mount£un,.and  sport  upon  the 
giddy  verge  of  precipices.  They  have  been  called  also  mountain 
sheefij  but  have  little  resemblance  to  sheep,  except  in  the  head, 
horns,  and  feet.  On  the  rump,  they  arc  white,  but  every  where 
else  of  a  dun  color.  In  size  they  exceed  the  deer,  and  have  a 
fine  soft  hair:  the  horns  of  tlie  male  are  larger  than  those  of  the 
female.   This  animal  is  thought  to  be  the  Jffalia, 

The  Buffaloe^  may  be  said  to  have  retired  north  of  the  Illinoiit) 

.and  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  plains  of  Indiana  and  Illinois) 

were  once  his  places  of  favorite  .resort,  and  he  loved  to  frequent 

the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Ohio ;  but  encroaching  settlements^ 


)pRb&t7ciitoks,  ^c— Bdbk  i. 


5jr 


have  driven  him  away.  His  prdper  country  appeal  to  be  the 
plains  of  the  Missburi;  those  of  Indiana  and  Illinois,  are  kninia- 
tures  of  thes6.  Here  the  buffaloe  is  found  in  imttiense  herds; 
frequently  cbVeHng  the  plain  as  &r  as  the  eye  tah  teath.  Some 
of  these  herds,  haVe  been  estimated  at  fifty  thousand  heads.  In 
the  dry  season,  they  are  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  great 
rivers,  but  there  are  also  regitlar  migrations  of  thtm  fiiom  north 
to  south,  When  they  are  seen  passing  the  Missouri,  for  several 
days  in  succession,  like  the  mansh  of  Xerkes'  ahny. 

The  Wool*  of  thib  buffatote  has  a  peculiar  fineness,  even 
surpassing  that  df  the  meiinb.  I  have  seeta  gloves  made  of  it, 
little  inferior  to  silk.  But  for  the  difficulty  Of  separating  the  haii^ 
it  might  become  a  very  important  article  of  commerce.  Should 
any  mieans  be  discovered  of  effecting  this,  or  should  it  be  found) 
that  at  certain  seasbns,  there  is  less  of  this  mixture,  the  buffaloe 
wool  must  become  of  prime  importahce  ih  manufoctures. 

JSik  and  Deei",  ate  foUnd  in  great  numbera  in  this  territory: 
In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  settlements  deer  are  very  abun* 
dant;  the  poor  animals  enjoy  tome  respite  firom  their  cruel  per- 
secutors, on  account  of  the  low  state  of  die  peltry  trade,  and 
for  some  time  past  have  beeh  observed  i&  increase.  Two  va- 
rieties of  deer  are  discovered  high  Up  on- the  Missouri.  The 
black  tailed,  or  mule  deer  ;  remarkable  fof  Very  long  ears,  and 
tails  almost  without  hidr,  except  at  the  tod  vriiere  there  is  a 
small  tuft  of  a  black  cofor.  The  other  kind  is  disdnguished  by 
very  small  horns,  and  a  tail  of  unusual  length^— «ighteen  or  twen- 
ty inches^  -^ 

•  There  is  a  spedies  of  W6?f  different  from  the  wolverin,  and  a 
Curious  one  of  the  fox.  The  braireau  or  badger,  is  found  on  the 
Mississippi  and  dn  the  Missouri.  The  changeable  hare  flejfiut 
variabiliaj  a  beautiful  animal^  gray  in  summer,  and  white  in  win-" 
ter  is  seen  in  this  country. 


*  It  is  cuH6as  to  o\iietv6t  that  in  the  instrUctiott  t6  Ibdrvllle  l>y  th<> 
kin^  of  France,  iwo  things  were  considered  of  the  first  importance,  the 
pearl  Jiaherji,  and  the  buffaloe  wooL  Charlevoix  obserTCs,  that  he  is  not 
surprised  that  the  first  should  not  have  been  attended  to,  but  he  thinks 
it  strati|fe  that  the  second  should  be  neglected  even  to  his  tittt. 

H 


^3 


r    VIEWS  OF  W>M»SU^^'J 


y 


.    The  i^rqirie  sLQg^^r  Sgiiiftelf  i?  ^ gvo^  curioutjr.  It  lives  in  ^qir- 
raw&t  ox  9fi  they  afc  QonnnKwLy  ca}l«d  rau'^s^  ^94  ii  abqiH  a  Uilrd 
larger  tliao  (l^e  fox  squirvel.  XUe  he^d  i^  thi<:K  ^nd  clu^iay,  it  has 
fergo  jaw«»  ^viU  l^rge  cy^s»  tnit  tbc  eiM?:is  not  pron\in?nwcQfl»i8it- 
iog of U' ^^e infliir? tl^uvtlflie oiifi<:^,,  Tk'^ Ndy ^ lQng,and l^gs »hort» 
tlie  t41(  n^t  mvi^^U  iiMrffcr  t|iAQ  th«i|  of  «k  common  ground  a^quir- 
;r^l»  and  v^ry  de|j««te ;  th«  j^  i^ort  iM>d  ^ek,  of  a  light  grey, 
cHceptiog  on  r,he  b^)ly»  vherc  it  is  white.  It  ia  without  doubt  a 
species  of  scjuirrei)  ^UoM^h  ijt  hii»  a  cloven  Up  ii^e.  thQ  jrabhit.   It 
mi\k,es  a  pois^  very  similar  to  %\v4t,  of  (ho  g^round  atj^uirreU  though 
n^u^lji  louder;  and  vc&embling  in  a  slight  degree  tl>£!  harking 
oS  ^  vepy  sm^lL  do^>  Whe;;i  at  S(pnie  diatanct;  front  \{,^  ln/oht  whieh,: 
l^owcver,  se^ojpQ,  hmpf^nat  it  niay  he  easUy  caughti  but  is  exceed- 
iugly  fieifce  in  the  first  iastauc^i  yet  in  a  few  days,  it  becomea 
p,e?fectly.doinaesticaied,iii^  is  pleased  vrit^.bjeing  careaaed.  It  sel- 
dom drinka;  k,  feeds,  on  tiie  gr^ss  which  grow^  around  its  holO) 
aikd  r9m^ns  ^orpid,  d^U'lng  winter.  The^e  towns  are  to  he  found 
in  the  lai'ge  prairie*  uhptff.  thi^cc  hundred,  n^ilcs  west  of  the  Mis' 
^Stsippi)  and  ifxe  fre(|uenVly  nio^e  than  a  inil^in  length.  The  si- 
tuatipn  c^ioAen,  is  gene^a^  dry,  Ueingon  the  slqpe  pf  a  bill,  and 
at  a  disl^nce  frt^n  any  w^ter  cou^vsj^   When  a  person  ^pprosve.hes, 
he  is  assailed  by  t^,  %rhpl,e  vU.]^e,  with  9  M^>  wl^h  o^  I  hstvc 
menuoned,^be«ira  a  re^emb^uce  lothe  barking  cf  sn^all  4og$-  The 
aiuinals  are  seen -behind  sm^^l  luUp^^s  al;  the  side  of  their  holes : 
on  a^pro^hing,wijthij;^^^w  yavd^of  one  of  these,,  theinihabir 
tiViit  in^t^nx^  retreats,  to.  Ipis,  subte^anequa  apartments.    The 
wolves  have  declared  war  against  these  curious  people^  and  fre- 
quently coninnt  gve^  h^voc,  in  thpw  little  repuhlics* 

Th^  Qofihevy*  is  supposed  to  be  a  non>^scr^ ;  it  Ijves  un^ 
dev  ground,  in  the  prinvies,  and  vi  i^sq  found  e^i^tof  the  Missis^ 
sippi.  It  bears  con;»iderabl,Q  resemblaoco  tp  the  inoI,e,  but  is 
twice  the  size  of  that  aninial.  It  has  at  eaph  j,aw,  a  kipid  of  bag, 
or  purse,  about  one  inch  and  a  half  in  length,  for  the  purpose  of 
Q^nveying  Coodj  of  for  earrying  th^  dirt jii^Jj  f|f  i^s  hole.  ^The 


*  Thi»  name  Is  also  given  to  a  species  of  terra{HiT. 

y^fbte  by  Mr.  BrQdbyry — If  the  Gopher  is  not  the  animal,  described 
in  the  Systema  Nutur.x,  as  mus  burstrius,  by  Linnaeus,  it  is  yet  undc- 
scrihed. 


PR6t)UCTlC^/8tc  .-.BiOOk  I. 


^19 


q^iahtity  *f  earth  tWtJti^  up,  is  ernohhmis  ;<  frtquentl jr  fo'rttiii^fe 

'    Thb  AUig^itlr^  te  i^  W«n  kti^^h  to  rtquire  Any  thih^  to  be 

flfcW-of  itfW.  His  is  iWt  cdWskWJred  a  ibrocion  ^  i*  dan'g«rdU8  »ni- 

ittAI  by  tlA  tHhobitaWi*.  l*litf  htiihbCfs  of  this  animal  have  Je4- 

-^tned  of'la^yebt^tV^the  destrlictibn  made  by  the  inhabitants, 

'Who  valtfe^elv  skins.  '^   '*^^    ;.....,.» 

the  Cttmeikn^\^  y€ri'i^MK\  'iairia  I  iirii  infbrttted  thail  Si 
the  wouthewi  partii  both  thfc  tlcor^ion  and  the  tammtila exist'.' 

Of  the  featheiHsd  tiflbeij  somethir  g  may  also  be  sSiid.  Th'*i*e 
is  a  beautiful  bi^d  catted  the  pt^i^ie  hen^  Vfhich  1  think  is  hot  dtf- 
iicfibed.  In  wihter'it  is  founti  in'laf^  0oclc«,  tomes  iftto  barn- 
yards, and  frequently  alig;ht<  oft  the  htjrraesx)^  thfc  villkgfei;i.  'ft 
is  sdttievrhat  larger  than  the  pheasantbfit^e  United  Sthte^,  {ittrao 
umbHlUa,)  Whirti  i^rtiftSiiWjtei  sort^Mrhatirt  CbWl-,  btfllh  8Hk^(5 
is  muth  like  thie  ^iifb^a  h6n';  and  diffei^fhjttl  the  ()h6a^lit  ih'  b^- 
in^  easily  dothestie^ea.  Th6  fl6^  ib  dlf,  iilatfc,  ^d  by  ilo  ml^atis 
a{*t^«iible.  Thcfe  i^abbtf  bh  tht  Misstjurt,t«^hifch^)t{il'i  ti  stfbrife 
res^mbldhce  t6  the  )3hekkdnt,  biit,  li  hearly  as  1:^  as  d'ttiHc(iV 
hen ;  it  is  d^serit^eH  &S  belti^  ii  fine  biVtl.  1  have  Siseii  b  spedii^tii 
of  thfe  Columbia  p^htldj^,  of  thb  tMM  beautitlil  pit)ift%e.  f  life 
m^gpiii  is  found  in  abUtidatibe  bii  the  Mi^^buri. 

Ih  the  settlements,  and  ^r  a  considferabte  distiince  up  mo. 
Missouri,  turkies  Stalk  through  the  «<^obds,  in  nutnerbbS  flbcks', 
but  are  rarely  met  \«rUh  iHrhf^re  the  bpcn  cwiritry  totiimisnc^^. 
Quails,  teftao  mttijlpndictt)  are  fbubd  every  Where.  IH  the  tall 
of  the  year  atl  the  ItikfeS  Are  llt^rdlly  covered  with  Wild  fc^Wf; 
duclts,  geese,  swaiis,  drahes,  and  a  Variety  tjf"  dthers.  '^ 


VEGETABLE  FROOUCf  IONS. 


K^' 


I  have  already  otjservetl  that  lai  extensive  field  lies  open  to 
the  botanist.  There  are  even- Some  considerable  forest  trees,  yet 
undescribed :  there  is  particularly  one  very  hesMtiU^ly^oUjaune, 
or  yellow  wood:  by  some  called  the  mock  orange.  In  siaei  it 
equals  that  of  the  largest  peach  tree,  and  the  leaves^  though 
longer,  are  pretty  nearly  similar.  The  trunk  is  short,  the  limbs 
branching  out  low  down.  The  fruit  has  some  resenibWnoc  to  tlic 


la  VTGWS  OF  L0VI8IANA.  . 

orange,  but  more  spherical,  and  covered  with  tubercles;*  the  cck 
lor,  when  at  maturitj^,  is  a  pale  yeUpw.  fhh  fruit, has  be^ 
deemed  poisonous,  bm  perhap*  without  reason :  in  its  green 
stat^i  i(  gives  forth  when  qut,  agrrat  quaptitxof.mjilky  flui^f 
whiQh  poasetses  a  corrosive  nature,  l^lapikening  the  jkpife,  with 
whi^h  it  ^s  cut,  Ukethe  pineapple,  1%  v/oul,d  certainly  be  in  gair- 
dens  a  highly  ornamental  tresj  Mr.  Choteaq,  qf^tt  Louis,  h^s 
planted  one  in  his  garden,  which  ti>nves  well.  The  \ne  is  found 
on.  the  Qsage,  Ark,an9as,  ^d  other  places  west  of  the  Missi^- 
fipi>Mt  it  is  said)  in  low,  pioist  and  s^jrampy  ground.  The  wood 
is  reniarkahly  heavy,  n^carcely  yielding  to  ligniiitn  vitse,  and  of  a 
beautiful  yelloW'  It  might  be  of  use  in  dye%  qr  for  inlaying.  The 
Indira  u«^  of  it  fipir  war  clt^  ^d  fpr  bows. 

Thej^e  is  a  grape  on  the  Missoqri,  found  in  the  pruries* 
whlf^h  i^ip^ns  in  %\ke  tnontb  of  Ju^e,cui  far  north  a^s  latitude  40", 
It  is  very  ^vreet  and  pleasant  A  hundre<i  writers,  have  a^ken 
pf  th,e  yi99^  pf  tbf  lllipoi^  with  ^tr^ge  exaggeration.  This 
f^rnns  ^  part  p^  the  pictures  oi  the  rpmapciqg  ^riters^  who  firsjt 
descril^d  4-ouisiana.  father  Hennepin^  dea<:ribea  the  «w£rar 
canf,  a^  growing  spontaneously,  on  the  banks  of  the  Missbsip- 
pi,an4tel>ls  of  purple  clustery  of  grapes,  iqiparting  their  rich 
iiues  to  the  gliding  wave.  Not^ithi  aiding  the  ^gqre  the  vines 
of  thip  country  have  pude  in  description,  they  are  very  little  dif- 
ferei^t  from  thqse  of  the  Vnited  States.  Fonnerly  a  wretched 
9ort  of  WfP!?  was  imade  of  ^he  rpinter  grafie,  but  Which  is  at  pre? 
sent  tdmpst  |ieglecte4'  These  vintages  were  never  considered 
of  niuch  importance.'  The  wine  was  made  by  bruising  tho 
grapes  in  a  {arge  tub;  a  heftyy  stone  v^as  then  placed  on  them^ 
to  press  out  the  juice,  which  flowed  through  an  opcmng  at  the 
bo^om  into  a  vessel  prepared  for  its  reception.| 


*  See  the  voyage  of  Hunter  and  Ejunbar  up  the  Wabash. 
1 1  have  seen  om  near  KatcfiCo^es»  on  the  Red  river. 

t  J^ote  fjf  Mr.  Bra^wry.  On  the  Ohio  and  on  the  Mississippi,  there 
lure  two  kinds  of  gftap^s,  not  found  ih'the  United  States;  vitit  astivalit 
and  vitis  riparia ;  the  last  is  a  very  fln«  grape.  There  are  also  two  spe- 
cies on  the  Missouri,  the  one  described;  and  a  white  grape,  said  to  be 
ver^  line,  The  change  which  ^  ^e  Ameiicao^  vineS|  undergo  from  cui* , 


pRomrcncMs,  &&— book  i. 


61 


Amongst  tb^  forest  trees  of  this  country,  the  eediir,  (juni- 
peruii  virginianai)  thexOtton  wood,  (populus  anguliacus,)  and 
the  peccanne,  ( juglans  olivse  formus)  deserve  particular  atten« 
tion.  The  cedars  grows  in  gteat  abundance  and  perfection. 
There  are  fipe  grovesi  on  the  Maramekf  St.  Francis,  Missouri* 
and  on  the  Missi  ^sippi.  Some  very  large  islands  in  the  Mbsou- 
ri  are  covered  with  this  tree.  The  houses  in  the  villages  are  gt« 
nerally  built  of  this  wood,  which  is  also  used  for  their  enclo- 
sures. The  cotton  wood  (so  called  from  a  down  which  it  casts 
off  in  the  spring,  with  which  the  air  is  filled  like.fleeces  of  snow) 
does  not  appear  to  have  attracted  as  much  attention  as  it  de> 
serves.  It  is  invariably  found  on  the  river  bottoms  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  Missouri,  and  after  the  willow,  is  the  first  tree 
which  springs  up  on  alluvion  soils.  The  More  ancient  islands 
of  the  rivers  >if  est  of  the  Mississippi,  at  well  as  on  that  river, 
are  covered  with  this  tree ;  it  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the 
scenery,  from  its  lofty  and  uniform  appearance,  and  the  deep 
green  of  its  foliage  contrasted  ivith  the  light  color  of  the  river. 
The  growth  of  this  tree  is  e:ictremely  rapid ;  it  shoots  up  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years,  into  a  noble  column,  several  feet  in  dia- 
meter, and  forty  or  fifty  in  height,  before  it  becomes  lost  in 
branches.  It  permits  no  part  lately  gained  from  the  river  to  re- 
mun  long  without  timber;  and  will  afford  wood  to  the  settlers 
of  adjacent  prairie,  which  could  not  otherwise  be  settled^  as  it 
answers  extremely  well  for  rails  and  fuel.  The  peccanne,*  is 
found  on  the  low  grounds,  where  it  grows  to  most  perfection; 
it  is  a  large  tree  resembling  somewhat  the  hickory,  but  has  a 
more  delicate  leaf,  its  branches  are  more  numerous  and  spread-, 
ing,  and  it  is  in  every  respect  a  more  beautiful  tree.  There  were 
formerly  beautiful  groves  of  it  in  the  American  bottom,  (Illinois) 
but  they  have  been  nearly  destroyed  in  order  to  procure  the 
nuts.  '  The  sugar  tree  Cacer  aaccharinua)  is  found  in  the  pre- 
sent limits  of  the  settlements,  but  not  far  to  the  west,  or  to  the 

ture,  is  truly  surprising ;  kind  and  bounteous  nature,  seems  to  have  fur- 
nished vines'  itaited  to  every  climate  and  soil ;  so  that  no  part  of  the  hU' 
man  race  should  be  denied  tiiis  general  blessing. 

•  It  is  one  of  the  principal  ornamental  trees  of  the  plantations  cm  the 
l^werpsrts  of  the  Mississippi. 


^ 


4i 


VIEWS  OF  L0UI81AVA. 


south.  The  cy;>reB8t  magnolki)  ever  (^reen  oakf  fend  «  number 
of  other  trees,  common  in  the  state  of  LouiBkno,  have  been  am> 
lily  described  hy  Barton  and  Michaud. 

Amongst  the  wild  fruits  of  Louisiana,  the  plum  has  been 
celebtated.  They  ur*  in  great  abundance.*  Several  species  de- 
iBrve  to  be  transpi  nted  to  our  (gardens ;  the  yellow  plum  is  dell* 
clout.  Mulberries  are  very  abundant,  both  Oh  the  Mississippi, 
/^  and  a  considerable  distance  up  the  Missouri.  The  woods  and 
prairies  are  every  where  overrun  with  ctrawberry  vines;  the 
fruit  is  exce.Hem.  Le  Haut  Mi8»oun^(\.Vit  upper  MIHBourl)  t^e 
name  given  it  by  the  French  traders)  surpasses  the  other  parts 
of  the  territory,  in  the  variety  of  wild  fVuits;  plums,  cherr.ds, 
currants  at«d  a  great  variety  of  berries.  '' 

Of  flowers,  and  herbaceous  plants,  pecuHsit'  to  this  country,! 
there  exist  a  great  variety,  but  want  of  botanical  skill,  and  the 
plan  ««tsumcd  for  thr.se  cursory  views,  prevent  me  from  entering 
into  detail.  White  clover,  grows  wild  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. In  the  upper  Missouri,  the  plains  are  filled  with  hyssop  \ 
near  the.mountams  there  is  a  plant  resembling  flax.t    Hunters 


*  Note  by  Mr.  Bradburif.  Amonglit  the  species  of  plUms  in  Lou* 
isiana,  and  particularly  at  some  distance  up  the  MisBouri.  there  is  none 
more  intere&ting  thiui  the  prairie  plum»  ("prunm  chickaiaj  which  lit- 
erally en  vers  tracts  of  ground,  of  many  acres  in  extent,  and  produces 
fruit  80  abundantly,  as  to  bend  down  to  the  earth  with  its  weight. 

•  f  The  natural  consequence  of  the  difference  of  habit,  arising  from 
the  prairies,  and  flint  knobs,  which  of  course  give  birth  to  distinct  tribei 
in  the  vegetable  kingdom ;  many  of  which,  could  not  exist  in  the  um- 
brageous woods  of  the  eastern  states.    Bradbury. 

^  From  the  description  of  this  plant,  it  seems  probable,  that  it  is  a 
i)ew  species  of  linum  /  and  although  perennial,  differs  from  linumperenne. 

The  number  of  plants^  made  use  of  by  the  aborigines,  for  medical 
purposes,  is  much  greater  than  might  be  supposed,  by  those  unacquaint- 
ed  with  the  skill,  in  the  healing  art,  of  these  untaught  children  of  na- 
ture. But  not  having,  as  yet,  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  the  con- 
tents of  their  medicine  bags,  I  am  not  prepared  to  give  a  scientific  ac- 
count, nor  of  the  plant  with  wfiich  they  produce  the  beautiful  dye,  in 
their  ornaments ;  it  is,  however,  a  golium,  and  I  think  a  new  speoiee- 

Bradbury. 
[This  was  written  before  Mr.  Bradbury  ascended  the  Missouri.]  ♦ 


PR0DUCTI0N8,  Ice— BOOR  I. 


6S 


tfll  of  some  curious  plants  od  on  th';  Arkansas,  amongst  vhich 
aru  the  common  sun-flower,  the  bean,  unci  the  sunbtin,  which 
grow  there  in  tkcur  natural  state.  There  is  no  reosor.  to  thin': 
this  impei>b«ble,  for  tUieac  plants  are  known  to  be  indigenous. 

IflNKRALS. 

If  we  denominate  parts  of  the  United  States,  bf  their  pr^- 
(lomtnating  characters,  and  qualities;  this  territory  may  be  call- 
ed the  country  of  minerals. 

A  small  quantity  of  gold,  is  said  to  have  been  foimd  on  the 
St  Francis,  by  an  inhabitant  of  St  Genevieve ;  it  is  probable, 
that  some  of  the  precious  metals  may  be  found,  and  it  is  certain 
that  nearly  all  the  useful  ones  exist  in  great  abundance.  A  story 
is  related  of  a  wonderful  mass  of  filatina^  on  the  Black  river ; 
this  is  not  sufRcicntly  attested,  to  merit  much  attention.*—^ 
It  is  the  prevuling  ofMnion,  that  there,  is  silver,  and  numerous 
stories  are  related  respecting  it.  A  humlred  places,  where  there 
is  said  to  be  silver  ore,  are  indicates  Crom  the  information  of  In- 
dians and  hunters;  on  the  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  on  the  wa- 
ters of  White  river.  C^ogf  aphers  have  for  a  long  time,  agreed 
in  placing  a  gold  mine  om  the  Arkansas ;  and,  considering  the 
precision  wi^  wbich  it  is  marked  on  the  map,  it  is  surprising 
to  me  that  some  of  our  enterprising  Ameneans  do  not  avail 
themselves  of  it.  Many  accounts  have  been  given  of  silver 
mines  on  the  Red  river,  above  the  Cado  ns^tion.    Du  Pratz  as- 


*  The  story  i^  related  by  Indlus  j  it  has  been  supposed  to  be  platina^ 

I  from  their  descripiloB,  but  it  is  most  likely  somA  other  isetal^  as  platina 

is  only  found  in  very  small  pieces.   The  weight  qf  the  raass^  being  diSK 

I  proportioned  to  Its  size>  causes  a  curious  deception  to  the  Indians,  who^ 

in  consec^uence,  call  it  a  moncton  or  spirit.  A  story  similar  to  this,  was 

I  told  me  by  an  Ankara  chief,  of  a  mass  which  he  has  frequently  seen  in 

a  prairie  near  the  Black  mountains.    Another  mass  has  actually  been 

brought  down  Red  river,  by  some  hunters ;  it  is  probably  native  iron. 

This  wealth  in  precious  metals,  is  certainly  flattering;  bat  the  expe<i 
rience  of  Spain  affords  a  salutary  lesson,  that  a  people  may  possess  It 
in  the  greatest  abundance  and  be  poor  in  every  thing  else.  The  cele- 
brated Adam  Smith,  proves  that  it  is  labor  and  industry  alone  t]iat 
give  a  nation  real  wealth.  We  should  be  richer  in  mines  of  iron  w  IcaJ, 
ihan  in  those  of  gold  and  silver. 


iH 


VIEWS  OF  L0UI8IAKA. 


r '!!:.,<  «'"■; 


serts  positivelyt  that  silver  ore  was  brought  from  thence  in  hil 
time. 

When  we  view*  the  space  between  the  Rockf  mountains, 
the  Cordilleras,  (which  pervade  New  Mexico)  and  the  rivcrs) 
Missouri  and  Mississippi,  a  conjecture  may  be  formed  not  alto* 
tj^ther  unworthy  of  attention.  Silver  mines,  it  is  well  known, 
have  been  discovered  north  of  the  Cordiileras,  and  between  them, 
according  to  the  information  of  iieut  (now  col.)  Pike,  they  are 
actually  wrought  by  the  Spaniards.  From  the  resemblance,  in  the 
character  and  appearance  of  this  country,  lo  that  which  lies  be- 
tween the  Cordilleras  and  the  Missouri^  besides  the  connection 
of  the  different  ridges,  it  seems  probable  that  the  same  mine- 
rals  are  common  to  both,  ihe  southern  and  northern  side  of  those 
mountains;  or  at  least  disappear  gradually  towards  the  north  and 
and  north-east.  The  volcanic  tract,  perhaps,  is  the  tract  of  pre- 
cious mineral"  This  conjecture,  however,  is  liable  to  objections^ 
and  is  therefore  submitted  with  diffidence. 

With  more  certainty  I  will  venture  to  mark  the  situation  and 
extent  of  the  mineral  tracts,  or  at  least  so  much  of  them,  as  tra- 
verse the  territory.  Nearest  to  the  Mississippi,  and  beginning 
S.  on  the  St.  Francis  and  White  river,  with  its  main  course  and 
diverging  dependencies,  perhaps  two  hundred  miles  in  width, 
and  six  hundred  in  length,  is  the  truct  of  lead  mineral }  perhaps 
the  most  extensive  body  of  any  mineral,  known  in  the  world« 
On  all  the  great  rivers  which  traverse  this  tract,  the  ore  shews 
itself,  in  their  channels,  in  a  variety  of  places ;  as  also  in  ravines 
where  the  soil  has  been  carried  off.  This  is  the  case,  on  the 
JMaramek,  the  Gasconade,  the  Osage,  on  the  Mine  river  of  the 
Missouri,  on  the  Missouri  itself,  on  la  riviere  des  Moines,  and  at 
length  on  the  Mississippi,  below  the  Ouisconsing.  At  this  *place 
it  crosses  the  river,  and  is  seen,  though  in  small  quantities,  in 
places  round  the  Michigan.  There  is  very  little  doubt  but  that 
all  this  extent  aboimds  in  lead  pre,  and  may  afford  thousands  of 
the  richest  mines. 

The  led  mines,  at  present  wrought  and  productive,*  are  those 
between  the  St.  Francis,  and  the  Maramek :  extending  over  a 

*  Tlic  mines  known  by  the  name  of  Dubuques  min^s,  thought  to  be 
cc;[ual  to  any  in  Louisiana,  are  not  at  present  wrought.  They  are  8itu»« 
ted  F^Bt  «iUc  the  Alississippi,  60  miles  beiew  prurie  du  Chicn. 


!    I  ■■it  .     ^ 


PRODUCnoilS,  IM;.— BOOfc  L 


65 


thence  in  hll 


tract  tkfaboot  thity  milet  In  length,  and  twenty  in  bteadth :  and 
thoie  at  the  Ouiaconting)  on  the  Mississippi,  above  the  prairie 
du  Chien.  I  rewrvo  the  description  of  the  ftrat  for  a  separatd 
number.  The  mines  of  the  prairie  du  Chien,  are  still  in  the 
hands  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  Wrought  by  thetnselvea  ex- 
clustrely ;  but  in  a  very  imperfect  manner.  L4ist  yeat*  (1811) 
they  made  thomt  fire  hundred  thousand  weight,  Whith  they 
disposed  ci  to  traders.  By  some,  these  mines  have  been  con- 
sidered the  richest  yet  opened.  The  Indians  are  badly  provi- 
ded with  tools  for  mining ;  a  common  hoe  is  almost  the  only 
instrument  which  they  use.  They  merely  scratch  away  the  soil 
a  few  Secti  and  the  ore  may  be  said  without  exaggeration,  to  be 
prized  up,  in  the  manner  of  stones  in  a  quarry.  The  mode  t/i 
smelting  is  equally  rude.  The  ore  is  thrown  on  piles  of  wobd| 
and  the  lead  is  afterwards  gathered  up  in  cakes,  in  the  shapes 
and  forms,  assumed  by  melted  lead,  when  carelessly  thrown 
tmt  on  a  hearth.  It  is  alftervvards  melted  by  the  traders,  and  made 
into  ptga  by  the  use  of  moulds. 

West  of  the  tract  of  lead  mineral,  is  that  of  tht  salines  t  It 
runs  parallel  with  the  other,  but  goes  further  south,  and  not  so 
&r  north.  The  extent  is  not  well  known.  This  tract  affords 
the  most  numerous  mA  best  salines,  of  any  part  of  North  Ame- 
rica. The  number,  on  the  Arkansas  and  on  the  Osage  is  surpris- 
ingly great.  At  the  salines  on  the  last  river,  there  is  a  greater 
cumber  of  the  enormous  bones  of  the  mammoth,  and  of  othei^ 
animals,  now  extinct,  than  at  the  Big  Bone  Lick,  or  in  any  othtf^ 
part  of  America.*  1  have  already  touched  upon  the  extraordina- 


r 


*  t  am  infortoed  about  two  hundred  miles  vngt  of  St.  Loais.  No  t6l* 
I  lection  has  yet  been  made  from  this  place.  The  bones  are  found  in  some 
Iplacea  on  the  surface  of  the  oartb,  and  ifeaerally  a  few  feet  under 
I  ground. 

A  prevailing  notion^  the  origin  of  which  is  attributed  to  the  cele- 
brated anatomist,  Cuvier,  is,  ttat  these  bones  belong  to  a  creation  dif- 
I  ferent  from  the  present.  Tfiey  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
of  a  great  variety  of  species,  some  even  resembling  those  of  the  pre- 
sent  creation,  but  of  much  greater  magnitude-  In  South  America,  near 
fiuenos  Ayres,  the  skelrton  of  a  tioth  is  said  to  have  be^n  dug  up,  near.- 
ly  as  large  as  that  of  an  elephant.  Cuvier  discovered  in  the  vicinity  of 
I  Paris,  bones  which  appertained  to  a  race  of  animals  now  extinct.  Four 


I 


6*6 


VIBWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


ry  body  of  salt*  near  the  Arkansas.  This  appears  to  be  the  priis' 
cipui  seat  of  the  salines.  The  water  of  the  Arkansas,  itself,  is 
brackish,  and  persons  ascending,  are  obliged  to  provide  them- 
selves, from  such  streams  and  spriiigs  of  fresh  water,  as  put  into 
it.  Near  the  place,  where  this  tract  crosses  the  Arkansas,  sever- 
al streams  enter  it,  which  ttre  strongly  impregnated  with  salt ; 
among  others,  the  Big  Salinei  and  the  Strong  Saline,  both  nearly 
one  hundred  yards  in  width.  It  is  here  that  the  salt  rock  is  said  to 
be  found,  and  that  salt  prairies  are  known  to  exist.  Th&salt  rock 
(if  there  be  such  a  thing)  has  not  been  described  by  any  person, 
who  has  examined  it.  The  notion  of  its  existence  was  probably 
suggested  by  the  solid  masses  of  salt,  found  in  low  places,  which 
have  formed  drains,  or  reservoirs  for  the  higher  surrounding 
ground ;  after  the  evaporation  of  the  water,  a  crust  of  good  salt 
is  left  in  the  bottom,  congealed  like  ice.  And  of  this,  there  ap* 
pear  to  be  accumulations.  The  color  is  of  the  purest  white ; 
there  is  usually  a  mixture  of  gypsum,  and  I  have  seen  some  pie- 
ces penetrated  with  sparry  matter.  Considerable  quantities  are 
also  scattered  over  the  prairies,  in  a  pulverised  state,  resembling 
sand ;  the  Indians  gather  it  with  the  win,;;  of  a  turkey. 

I  do  not  mean  by  marking  off  these  tracts,  to  convey  the  idesi 
that  it  is  only  in  such  parts,  that  certain  minerals  exist,  but  mere- 
ly as  the  predominating  character,  and  where  these  nunerals 
most  abound.  Throughout  every  part  of  the  territory,  there  are 
salines,  but  far  below  the  great  scale  of  those,  in  the  tract  which 
crosses  the  Arkansas  and  Osage  rivers. 

The  volcanic  tract,  may  be  placed  west  of  the  last,  in  the 
slope,  and  spurs  of  the  Rocky  Ridge.  It  was  formerly  conjectur- 
ed from  ^le  pumice  found  floating  on  the  Missouri,  that  some 


or  five  distinct  apeoies  of  the  mammoth  are  perceived ;  the  bones  found 
at  the  Big  Bone  Lick  prove  the  existence  of  a  variety  of  aninals,  no 
longer  on  the  earth,  or  not  supposed  to  have  existed  in  these  climates. 
The  traditions  said  to  prevail  amongst  the  Indiana  on  this  subject, 
are  easily  accounted  for  by  those,  who  are  acquainted  with  the  custom 
amongst  those  people  of  inventing  aq4  relating  amusing  tales,  like  the 
Arabs.  The  big  bones  would  naturally  furnish  a  hint.  I  have  heard 
several  on  this  very  subject  more  curious  than  those,  which  have  been 
recited,  at  affording  evidence  of  the  existence  of  the  anijnal, 


PRODUCTIONS,  Ice.— BOOR  I. 


«r 


Dbdtheprio' 
isas,  iuelft  is 
rovide  them'- 
er.  as  put  into 
ansast  sever- 
ted  with  salt; 
e,  both  nearly 
rock  is  said  to 
Thfrsalt  rock 
)y  any  person, 
i  was  probably 
places,  which 
r  surrounding 
St  of  good  salt 
this,  there  ap- 
purest  white; 
keen  some  pie* 
quanUties  are 
,te,  resembling 
key. 

>nVey  the  idea, 
list,  but  mere- 
lese  minerals 
tory,  there  are 
le  tract  which 


part  of  the  country,  trat^ersed  by  this  river,  or  its  waters,  was  toI- 
canic ;  this  still  remains  uncertain.*  There  ia  no  doubt  but  that 
Tumty  of  these  appearances  arise  from  the  burning  of  coal  banks. 
Near  the  Maiidans,  there  are  places  m  which  smoke  is  emitted 
from  the  high  banks  of  the  river,  and  putting  down  a  stick  Into 
the  fissure,  fire  is  instantly  communicated.  I  think  it  probable, 
that  &  ck>se  examination  of  the  country,  will  discover  traces  of 
extinguished  volcanoes.  Mr.  Lisa,  informed  me,  that  he  had 
been  told  by  Indians,  and  some  of  his  hunters,  that  about  sixty 
miles  from  his  fort,  on  the  Roche  Jaune,  at  the  entrance  of  a  riv- 
er, there  is  a  mountain  which  emits  flames.  This  is  about  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Roche  Jaune.  In  this 
part  of  the  country,  I  am  we?l  informed  that  great  quantities  of 
sulphur  can  be  procured  ;  it  is  found  not  only  in  caves,  but  can 
be  scraped  off  the  prairies  in  the  manner  of  the  salt. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  minerals  which  are  found  in  the  great- 
est quantides,  I  shall  now  mention  such,  as  are  more  thinly  dis- 
persed through  the  territory. 

Copper,  is  certainly  found  on  the  Mississippi,  between  la 
riviere  des  Moines  and  the  Ouisconsing ;  and  several  other  places 
in  the  territory  are  mentioned.  There  is  iron  ore  on  the  St. 
Francis^  on  the  Maramek,  on  the  Osag^,  and  in  great  quantities 
throughout  the  White  river  country.  On  the  St.  Francis  there 
nte  said  to  be  huge  masses  like  rocks.  Several  gentlemen  who 
have  examined  specimens  from  these  different  places,  do  not 
think  fig^vorably  of  the  ore,  but  I  believe  no  proper  trial  of  it,  has 
yet  been  made. 

There  doubtless  exists  a  variety  of  minerals,  which  a  better 
acquaintance  with  the  country  will  discover:  it  has  not  been  at- 
tenUvely  examined  by  any  skilful  mineralogist.  Mr.  Bradbuiy, 
on  a  visit  to  the  mine  6.  Burton,  informed  me  that  he  found  those 
working  at  the  mines,  throwing  away  as  useless,  the  blende  ore 
of  Zinc.   The  late  Dr.  Elliot  of  St.  Genevieve,!  informed  me 

•  A  thorough  examination  of  the  causea  of  the  late  earthquake 
j  might  perhaps  throw  li  jht  on  this  aubject  The  teat  of  thia  convulsion 
[  may  be  far  to  the  weit, 

t  Porroerly  of  Connecticut.  I  cannot  refrain  from  seiicing  this  oppor- 
I  tunity  of  paying  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  that  excellent  man.  J*oiieiff^ 


VIEWS  OF  LOUKIANA. 


/•> 


that  an  Indian  had  once  brought  him  ai^cimen  of  anUniQBy« 
))ut  that  he  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  by  any  offera  to  shew 
the  place  where  it  was  procured :  believing^  probablyt  from  the 
reward  offered  him,  that  it  must  be  something  of  great  value. 

CoaU  seems  to  be  a  fossil  common  to  every  part  of  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  space  between  the  range  of  mountains 
towards  the  Atlantic,  and  that  towards  the  Pacific.  U  is  foun<| 
in  every  part  of  this  territory.  On  the  east  side  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, in  the  bluffs  of  the  American  Bottom,  a  tree  tal^Bg  fire 
some  years  ago,  communicsted  it  by  one  of  its  roots  to  the  coali 
which  continued  to  bum,  until  the  fire  was  at  length  smothered 
\fj  the  falling  in  of  a  large  mass  of  the  incumboit  eartl^.  The 
appearance  of  fire,  is  still  visible  for  several  rods  around.  About 
two  miles  further  up  the  bluffs,  a  fine  coal  bui^  has  he^n  open- 
ed} the  vein  as  thick  as  any  of  those  near  Pittsburgh. 

Salt-petre  has  been  made  on  the  Gasconade,  and  there  is  no 
doubt,  but  that  great  abundance  may  be  had  throughout  this 
country,  which  reposes  on  limestcme,  and  is  consequently  ca<« 
vemous.  In  caves,  from  the  M^souri  to  the  St.  Francis,  there 
are  mmiense  quantities  of  a  pure  ules;,  adhering  like  solid 
rock;  it  ia  as  white  as  refined  sugar,  and  so  much  tike  its  that 
the  different  is  not  discernible  to  the  eye.  I  hav?  seen  a  de- 
ception practised  on  a  stranger,  by  giving  him  a  lump  and  pass* 
ing  it  for  sugar.  It  crumbles  with  the  pressure  of  the  fingers :  in 
the  mfUiM^cture  of  glass,  it  may  undoubtedly  be  of  u«e.  A  beau- 
tiful terpentine*  of  a  red  color,  ia  fo\|nd  about  three  hundred 
miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  near  the  heads  of  la  riviere  des 
Moines  and  the  ^t.  Peters,  and  of  which  the  Indians  make  their 
pipes.  It  is  soft  and  easily  cut,  into  any  shape  in  the  first  instance} 
but  soon  assumes  the  hardness  of  stonr  A  curious  circum- 
stance is  cufinected  with  this  and  noUcid  by  several  writers. 
The  Indians  of  different  tribes,  no  matter  how  inveterate  or 
fierce  their  animosities^  incet  here^  alwaya  ip  peace.  In  this  sa< 


cd  of  Ml  enlightened  Mid  pltohMophte  mind,  and  the  most  amiable  dis' 
position  ever  gifted  to  a  mortal.  He  was  formed  to  instnict  and  to  it 
beloved' 


V  So  called  by  Knkerton,  Carver,  &c. 


INOUN  NA.TI0ira,8(e.-^B00K  I. 


«9 


«rtd  spot  of  geiieral  rendexvoiUf  tluit  moat  raigorernalile  of  say* 
age  propeaakieai  reTenge*  ia  eanipl«tely  subdued.  > 

There  ia  narble  in  the  temtorj  in  TarioiM  pUtouk ;  it  reaemo 
Ues  that  iv'tedi  is  commonljr  found  io  Kentuchy :  but  nrmc  of  a 
att(ierior  quality  haa  yet  been  diacoveied  Qn  Bon  Hommo 
creek)  about  fifteen  milea'from  St.  Loutti  a  quarry  of  atone  was 
opened  sohm  tine  ago>  aaid  to  equal  the  French  burr.  Tht  mill 
stones  procured  here  are  thought  by  good  judgoa  to  be  of  a  su^ 
perior  quality,  md  it  only  renaina  for  ekpericoce  to  decidtt. 

Etftha  and  cfa^  of  a  raro  and  usofid  kind,  hanre  hoea  found 
in  diflBBreot  parts.of  die  territory.  Oypann>  nay  be  had  in  any 
quantities,  on  the  M4ramrit,  Osage)  Miaaouri,  kc  ;  on  the  Kan* 
sas,  I  hare  been  iufoiaaed  by  hunters  th«re  are  wbolo  bluffs  com* 
posed  of  itw  lathediabrictof  CagioCUrardcautthcreiaakindof 
clay*  which  in  painting,  anaweva  the  pnrpoao  of  Ochre, 

I  shall  here  notice  a  phenonaenon  froquontly  ohaenred;  but 
without  attempting  a  solution,  iriiicbia  left  to  the  scientific.  On 
the  St.  Francis  and  in  tiie  Wlute  rhrct  country,  aohterraneous 
explosions,  have  been  heard,  and  their  effrcts  discerned.  The 
souikd  im^ke  that  of  cunon  or  dntant  thunder;  and  Ae  earth 
9i.d  rocks  appear  to  have  been  convulsed  as  though  by  the  force 
of  gun  powder.  The  rocks  bh^wu  ups  are  glaaod  with  »  shining 
natter,  of  nwtaHjr  appearance.* 


CHAPTBK  TI. 


A  vuw  ov  van  vmikm  vATiona  of  M'VuifAirA-«-of  van 
imdiah  Tiu»a  worn  ri7M»  he.  or  Tu  MUtoviu  avo  nn^ 

sisairn. 

From  the  fatal  ravages  of  the  small  pox,  the  preaent  Indian 
nadons  of  Louisiana)  particularly  on  the  Missouri,  have  not 
the  tenth  of  the  numbers  which  they  had  near^liirty  years  ago. 


■* 


*  I  have  since  learned  th»t  the  game  phenomenon  has  been  koown 
«n  th«  Washita,  unA  on  the  Sabine. 


70 


t1teW»  OF  LOXnSTAWA* 


Within  a  few  years  past*  however,  they  haye  been  rapidly  io- 
creasing.  Notwithstanding  the  formidable  list  here  present- 
ed ^  these  pec^le  are  scattered  over  so  wide  a  country  as  scarce- 
ly to  be  noticed  in  it.  One  may  travel  for  days  without  meet- 
ing a  living  soul ;  I  descended  the  Missouri  one  thou$and  mUe» 
without  <Mice  seeing  a  human  being  that  was  not  of  dur  party. 

The  only^ldPMl  or  agneultural  vilbiges  on  the  Missouri,  are 
those  of  the  Osage,  Maha*s,  Poncas,  Pani's,  Arikara's,  and  Man- 
dan*a;  and  all  on  the  S.  W.  side  of  the  river.  On  the  Blue  earth 
river,  and  in  the  forks  of  the  Kansas,  there  are  several  villages 
of  the  nation  of  that  name,  the  Pani  villages  below  the  mouth  of 
Wolf  river,  and  a  village  of  011o*a  and  Missouri's.  Yet  even 
smne  uf  these,  are  abandoned  for  a  great  part  of  the  summer  sea- 
son, and  their  inhabitants  wander  through  the  plains  ^  generally 
en  maaacy  and  carrying  with  them  all  tfatir  property,  excepting 
their  com,  and  a  few  bulky  hi  tides  which  they  deposit  in  hiding 
places.  Their  baggage  is  more  cumbrous,  than  would  be  imagin- 
ed, and  employs  a  great  number  of  dogs  and  horses  in  transport- 
ing it  from  place  to  place. 

All  the  other  nations  lead  a  life  similar  to  that  of  the  shep- 
herds of  Asia;  it  is  true  they  do  not  drive  domestic  herds  to 
places,  where,  the  best  pasturage  may  be  found,  but  what 
amounts  nearly  to  the  same  thing,  they  follow  the  instinctive  mi- 
grations of  the  Bufraloe,feed  upon  hi^  flesh  and  kindle  their  fires 
with  his  ordure.  The  great  object  of  serious  employment  in 
theb^  nations,  the  ruling  passion,  is  a  thirst  for  mutual  destruc- 
tion. The  great  distance  to  which  their  war  parties  wander  in 
pursuit  of  this  darling  gratification  is  indeed  surprising;  eight 
hundred  or  a  thousand  miles  is  not  an  unusual  journey.  It  is 
only,  however,  on  women  and  children,  and  on  parties  taken  by 
surprise  that  their  attacks  prove  really  bloody  and  destructive. 
In  their  more  regular  engagements,  or  battles,  where  there  is 
something  like  equality  in  the  adverse  parties,  they  engage,  ge- 
nerally on  horseback,  in  a  roaiioeuvering  figfct,  in  which  they 
display  wonderful  activity  and  skill  on  both  rides,  so  much  so, 
that  they  do  each  otiier  v«ry  little  harm.  A  battle  between  three 
or  four  hundred  men  uu  each  side,  will  continue  a  whole  day, 
'«hd  be  at  length  terminated  by  the  death  of  two  or  three  and  as 


' », 


Indian  natiohs,  &c~book  i. 


n 


liwnf  wounded.  In  this  they  bear  a  strong  reiemhiancr  to  the 
Arabs;  it  is  the  result  oi  the  theatre  of  yar  oa  which  thejr  en- 
gage, the  open  plains,  and  not  the  want  of  courage. 

Nearly  all  the  nations  of  the  N.  W.  side,  are  descendanu  of 
the  Sioux,  and  at  peace  with  each  other,  but  with  scarcely  an  ex- 
ception, at  war  with  those  on  the  S-  W.  side.  I'hese  nations  have 
considerable  trade  or  traffic  with  each  other.  The  Sioux  have 
for  thb  purpose  regular  fairs,  or  s^semblages*  at  staled  periods.  - 
The  same  thing  prevails  with  the  naticms  on  the  S.  W.  side  of 
the  Missouri.  Those  towards  the  south,  have  generally  vast 
numbers  of  horses,  mules,  and  asses,  which  they  obtain  in  tradei 
or  war,  from  the  Spaidardsor  nations  immediately  bordering  on 
New  Mexico.  These  animals  are  chiefly  transferred  to  the  na- 
tions N.  £.  of  the  river,  by  such  of  the  southern  tHbea  as  hap- 
pen to  be  on  good  terms  with  them,  who  obtaufi  m  exchange  Eu- 
ropean articles,  procured  a  Ma  the  British  traders.  Their  stock  of 
horses  requires  to  be  constantly  renewed  by  thefts  or  purchases : 
from  the  severity  of  the  cUmate  and  the  little  care  taken  of  the 
foals,  the  animal  would  otherwise  be  in  danger  of  becom- 
ing extinct.  Their  mode  of  trading  with  each  other  is  perfect- 
ly primitive.  There  is  no  bargaining  or  ditpule  about  price; 
a  nation  or  tribe  comes  to  a  villi^e,  enoam|M  nearit,  and  after  de- 
monstrations on  both  sides  of  a  thousand  barbarous  civilities,  aa 
sincere  as  those  which  are  the  result  <^  refinement,  one  of  the 
parties  makes  a  general  present  of  all  such  articles  as  it  can  con- 
veniently spare:  the  other  a  short  time  after  makes  in  return  a 
similar  present,  the  fair  is  then  concluded  by  a  variety  of  games^ 
sports  and  dances.  They  hold  the  mode  of  trading*  by  the 
whites,  in  great  contempt;  tiiey  say  it  displays  a  narrow  und 
contemptible  soul  to  be  weighing  and  counting  every  trifle;  the 
price  is  usually  fixed  by  tne  chief  and  his  council,  and  the  na- 
tion as  well  as  traders  must  submit. 

Their  arms  consist  principally  of  bows,  spears,  clubs,  and 
light  fusees.  But  the  bow,  particuhu'ly  m  hunting,  is  still  the 
principal  weapon.  Like  all  savages  they  are  superstitious.  Itap* 
peared  to  me  that  if  they  had  any  particular  objea  of  adoration  n 
it  was  the  bufTaloe  head.  They  place  it  in  every  hoiy  oi  iiucreU 
flpot  of  ground,  and  each  lodge  or  tent^  ha»  one  or  two^  to  wh^«^ 


9t 


VIVWS  or  LOUfSIAKA. 


^ 


r 


l\ 


the  whole  fiunilf  seem  to  p»y  the  utmost  reverence  I  mw  in  the 
YiUi^  of  the  MmikImo  ckwft  She-he-ke,  in  an  open  spiice  before 
the  temple  or  neiiiciae  kidgttt  an  cnckMure  of  about  six  feet 
Kjuare,  in  wliich  were  four  on  these  heads  on  eJevated  mounds 
«fearth. 

I  faad  not  aviiciealtime  to  farm  my  idea  of  their  languages, 
but  from  what  I  was  aUe  to  ie«ni  then  are  about  six  primitive 
Ok:«s:  it  is  Terjr  probable  tiMta  moic  acatrMte  scrutiny  would 
discover  «f  those, -acTeni  conunon  to  other  nations  of  the  conti* 
nent.  It  i^^eared  to  me  thnt  the  Snufee  Indians,  both  in  language 
«nd  io  appearanoe  were  differeat  froas  any  Indians  I  had  ever 
«een.  In  the  sound  of  the  language  there  is  a  f^ood  deal  of  re- 
4wniu11aBoe  to  those  of  Africa  which  I  liave  heard.  I  am  inform- 
ed that  oopiotts  vocabularies  have  been  madf  by  Lewis  and 
Clsrk)  «f  nearly  all  the  Indian  Imguages  of  the  Missouri.  As 
tiac&r  journal  is  expected  abortiy  to  appear>  I  shall  not  publish 
the  coUocdons  made  by  me,  which  must  necessarily  be  much 
inferior  to  theirs,  diey  having  had  more  time  and  much  greuter 
opportunities.  A  few  primitive  words  of  differem  nations  will 
suffice  in  this  view. 

OSA6B. 

.  They  call  li>e«iseltes  Wasashe,  ond  are  divided  Into  three 
Imnds,  1.  The  Gk«at  Osage,  X  Little  Osage,  3.  The  band  of 
«  Big  Track,"  from  a  chief  who  left  the  nation  some  years  ago 
and  is  now  settled  on  the  Arkansas.  Their  language  may  be  con  • 
udered  the  primitive  of  aeveral  others,*  which  arc  spoken  by 
netghbottring  nations,  without  any  great  difference ;  as  the  Ar^ 
kansas,  Kansas,  and  Mahas.  Their  trade  is  principally  in  deer 
skins,  bear  skins,  beaver,  oiiter,  muskrat,  and  the  Bufi«loe. 

Theae  people  have  been  watedfor  their  uficommon  vtature ;  this 
is  somewhat  exaggerated,  chough  they,  are  undoubtedly  atsove 
the  ordinary  size  of  men.  The  wandering  or  semi-wamdering  na* 
tbns  of  Louisiana,  noay  be  characterised  as  eicceedtng  in  stature 
the  whites.  The  Osages  ai«  reputed  warlike,  but  this  arises  from 
their  being  «t  war  with  all  tiieir  neighbours,  and  not  from  any 
uncommon  degree  of  bravery.  When  compared  with  tl»c  Sha* 
Wanese,  and  the  nations  east  «€  the  Mississippi,  they  mig^t  with 
iftore  propriety  be  regarded  asa  treacherous  and  cowardly  racc^ 


tIfDIAM  NATIONS*  ici6>-lldOk  t. 


H 


A  pwchaw  was  mad©  a  Uik  yeart  agti  by  governor  Lcwwj 
or  the  greater  liArt  of  the  coontry  claimed  by  these  people,  re* 
serving  to  thttrt  the  prlvHegc  of  hunting  bn  h,  until  the  eicten- 
sion  of  the  setUemcrts  should  retider  It  inc««iYenient.    The  ob^ 
ject  of  this  was  to  Bx  a  fccrtdin  and  cieterflhhnrte  boundary  for  th* 
exercise  of  the  jurl»mction  of  the  courts,  artd  in  order  to  dioaway 
ell  (luesttori  br  difficulty  aii  t<i  tlie  Utle  blthe  tJnited  Statei^i'  Bill 
great  disstti^fectlon  Mas  bfcehfcjtclifedanwh^st' them  in  idbnsfc- 
quence  of  ii^purthase^^hitli  they  alledgc  ti6t  to  have  been  fanS^ 
Ij  .nade.  In  fctel*  thii  is  not  to  tnatter  feahliy  fef^Med  wltfi/  strict 
torrcctftfe*h  attd  iti««dttbtftil  vltbllne  #htSlhet'  dur^fctehsive  In- 
dian purthases  eisf  (tf^t^  Mis%issii)pfj%ci^  cohdufcted  in  the 
fairesit  mannef.  A  d^bitfeof  doing  sbrti^hiiiK  ««e"tbriLus,  ma^ 
have  Induced  sttitie if  <kr  agetitaf,  tto  ^i  rafclier  too  far  in  procur- 
ing the  conaent  bf'the  dhicfs  bf  the  natkihj  and,  perhaps  of 
chiefs  created  Tdr  th^  cypress  pui'p6S<i.    When  this  subject  is 
considered,  thert"  rtfiy  bfe  more  jtisticb  in  the  disafTecUon  of  the 
Indiab  nations  thin  is  feiiherailystii^bSed.  The  governments  of 
the  Indian  natibns  a^  fjencrally  republican ;  the  thiefe  propose, 
and  the  ]xdj^  approve  or  dlsajiiprbTe ;  the  proper  solemnities 
are  not  so  easily  com^ilied  tirith ;  the  consent  of  a  few  of  the  t)rin- 
cipal  chiefs  has  genet-ally  been  thought  suMcient,  but  there  arc 
instances  of  those  chiefs  failing  into  disgrace  in  consequence  of 
their  unauthorised  cbnduct.  The  Dsage  purchase  was  sanctioned 
by  the  government,  but  nbthing  was  done  in  complying  with  the 
stipulations  of  the  treaty  on  our  part  for  nearly  two  years.  Short- 
ly before  the  arrival  of  governor  Howard,  the  Osages  were  in- 
formed that  the  first  payment  of  the  annuity  was  soon  to  be  thade 
for  thoir  land.  Thirty  or  forty  chiefs  came  to  St.  Louis,  soon  af- 
ter the  arrival  of  tbb  governor,  ahd  in  cbtincil,  remonstrated 
I  against  the  putrchaise^  declaring  it  td  have  been  unfair.  The  prin> 
I  cipal  speaker,  Le  Sonneur,  addressed  him  With  great  art,  and  some 
I  eloquence.  He  said,  that "  he  was  much  surprised  to  hear  of  this 
purchase,  which  had  been  forgotten  by  iiis  nation,  and  he  suppo- 
sed, had  also  been  forgottet?  by  his  great  father.    The  sale  ^as 
made  by  those  who  had  no  authority ;  and  his  great  father  not 
having  complied  with  his  part  of  the  bargain,  by  delaying  two 
years  tiie  stipulated  payment,  and  nbtpcrforVning  lie b^er  Jwrts 


.1 


H 


,  ;i,  VIEWS  PF  LOUISIANA. 


/ 


of  the  treaty,  bU  nation  ought  nQt  to  be  held  to  their  put  of  ir, 
cycn  if  fairly  entered  into.  But)  uXd  he,  the  Osage  nation  ha» 
no  right  to  Bell  its  cQuntry^much  less  have  a  few  chivfs,  who  have 
ta)ien  it  on  thenoselves^idoi  so;  our  country  belongs  *c  our 
posterity  as  well  w  to^rselves;  it  is  not  absolutely  ourS)  we  re- 
ceive, it  only  for  our  Jlifetimes,  and  then,  to  transmit  it  to  our  des- 
9C|fdivfit8.  Ourgreat  father  is  good  and  Just,  wiU  he  permii  bis 
children  to  sell  thj^  b9^s  of  their  fathers  tP  mU  the,  inberitance 
of  their  children!  Npr  my  father,  keep  yo^r  gGod^,aiMl  Ictus  keep 
o,i,ir  lands."  This  chief  ss^tisfifid  me  of  tl^  talent,  for  ornitory 
aroongs^  tbi^e  rude  ipe^  !l[Ij9  spoH'i^  (for  9P  hour,  and  as  pom- 
pletely  exhausted  ]4«  f^^^ect  as  vqu]4thDye  been  done  by!  the 
be^^  speaker.  J^h  speech  was  evidently  pitepQrci4;With  care  for 
t)ie  occasion.  Goyer;nor  Ho;i!i>a,rd  replied  to  him  with  dignity^ and 
J  nncss,  and  iufpr,]^e4  hiip,  that  thetreiaty  must  be  kept}  that 
their  great  father  d|4  not  con^pel  Indians  to  sell  their  lands,  but 
whet^  they  did  sell,  the  bargain  could  .not  be  broken ;  that  cir- 
cumstances had  rendered  it  impossible  to  pay  the  annuities  soon- 
er, the  treaty  not  having  been  approved  b^  their  great  father  for  a 
cQn|s)derable  time,  "phat  the  fuinuities  fojr  two  years  were  ready 
for  them,  if  they  chose,  they;  m^ght  accept,  ^i^pt*  it  was  of  no  con- 
Sf^i^iience,  the  land  would  still  be  considered  as  purchased,  and 
thejir  obstinacy  would  have  ^p,  other  effect  than  that  of  displeas- 
ing their  great  father.  Finding  that  opposition  was  useless,  they 
finally  promised  to  use  their  influence  to  induce  their  nation  to 
a,ccept.  Theise  purchases  have  a  good  appearance,  but  I  question 
whether  they  are  inrcality  more  just  than  the  French  and  Spanish 
xnode  of  encroaching  on  their  lands,  and  insinuating  themselves 
into  their  country  imperceptibly ;  taking  a  piece  of  land  as  they 
might  happen  to  w^  it^^  without  saying  any  thing  about  Indian 
title,  and.  keeping  thojie  people  quiet  by  presents,  more  pleasing 
to  them  than  if  given  as  the  payment  of  a  debt,  for  which  an 
equivalent  had  been  received.  I  Ihnr  it  is  not  with  respect  to  In- 
dian purchases,  that  we  have  manifested  a  conduct  more  gener- 
ous and  noble  than  our  predecesso'  s.;  we.in^st  look  for  this  in 
the  pains  and  expense  which  we  have  been  at,  in  civilizing 
and  instructing  thesi  people,  together  with  the  uniform  practice 
of  advising  tfiem  to  neu^nUity  iQ  our  wars  with  white  aationj) 


INDIAN  NATIONS,  &c.-<BOOK  f. 


rs 


and  to  (xiace  amongst  thenuelTcs.  The  e»cablisbment  of  trading 
houses  and  factories^  though  originating  from  the  bes:  intentions, 
is  not  in  reality  so  praise-worthy  as  might  appear  Irom  the  first 
glance*  otherwise  than  it  affords  protection  to  traders,  and  keeps 
the  Indians  in  awe. 

i    ; ,  . .  ,     ,         ,  r     • 

KANSAS, 

»  y 

A  few  ye;irs  Qgo  they  were  the  greatest  scoundrels  of  th# 
Missouri,  robbing  traders,  and  ill-treating  the  whites,  hut  since 
about  two  years,  in  consequence  of  a  severe  defei^t  from  the  Pa- 
nis,  in  which  their  greatest  warriors  fell,  they  have  been  hum- 
;  bled.  They  are  brave,  and  are  esteemed  great  warrior^.  They 
have  their  villages  on  the  Kansas  river.  The  country  which  they 
I  inhabit  abounds  with  beaver,  but  they  do  not  hunt  much.  They 
I  speak  the  Osage  language  with  sonie  difference  of  dialect. 

They  are  the  descendants  of  th|$  an-  ;nt  ssouris,  and 
[  ^pcak  their  language,  which  is  remarkabt  ot.  -  ^nd  sonorous.— 
It  hey  are  not  numerous,  but  esteemed  bnv  e  >  .d  warlike.  They 
[reside  fifteen  leagues  up  the  river  Plv  "^  and  live  in  commu> 
|nity  and  friendship  with  the  IHrni^* 

mssovRi^, 

Th^  rempfont  of  one  of  the  mo^t  pumerous  nations  pf  the 
^ssouri,  and  who  have  given  their  name  to  the  river.   Tb?y 

were  reduced  to  about  eighty  warriors.  They  reside  ^ith  the 
Ktoes.   Their  village  was  formerly  at  the  mouth  of  the  Grand 

river. 

PANI  FB9PSQ, 

A  much  more  friendly  and  civilized  people  than  those  juqt 
lescribed ;  they  treat  their  traders  and  the  whites  generally  with 
remarkable  hospitality,  have  frequent  intercourse  with  the  Span- 
»rds,  and  live  about  thirty  leagues  from  the  mouth  of  the  river 
*iatte,  and  in  two  villages.  The  Council  Bluffs  on  the  Missouri 
irould  be  a  good  place  for  a  trading  establishment  for  the»e  p«ow 
?le.  They  have  but  faint  idws  of  the  exclusive  right  of  sqU,  and 
Jiave  no  fixed  boundary ;  in  wh 'ch,  they  resemble  the  greater  part 


If  i^vrewsoFtotmnAKA. 

of  these  wationi.  They  hunt  on  the  riven  Ptette  and  Kanuti 
their  country  very  Httle  wooded*  but  of  a  beautiful  aurfiicet  con-' 
aistiiig  of  open  j^ins. 

The  Pani  I^oupifreude  on  the  Wolf  river,  thirty  six  lep^es 
from  its  mouth.  There  is  said  to  be  a  good  dml  of  timbered 
land  between  this  river  and  the  Corne-de>Cerf,  or  Elk  horn,  prin- 
cipally  pine  and  shrubby  oak.  The  two  rivers  just  mentioned,  af^ 
fbr'cl'excdlent  iiavigation;  the  Wolf  river  rises  iq  a  lake,  or  ra- 
ther a  largie  fountain. 

:  The  Pani,  Republican,  a  sittaU  band  which  seceded^from  the 
nation  B  few  years  ago,  teside  on  the  Republican  fork  of  thp 
iLansas  river. 

,,  MAHAS,  (or  Oo-ma-haJ 

Reside  on  the  Maha  creek,  about  eighty  leagues  above  the 
Platte,  in  their  village,  and  raise  corn.  A  friendly  and  industri- 
ous people,  and  haVe  a  considerable  trade.  Their  language  ori- 
ginally Osage,  All  the  Sioux  bands,  except  the  Yanktons,  make 
wai*  ti)^  thehi.  Yheir  numbers  have  been*  tnnth  reduced  with- 
in the  last  ten  years.  < 

POVCAt, 

Originally  M^ha ;  village  a  short  distance  below  the  Qui- 
Courre.  They  were  almost  destroyed  by  the  Sioux,  their  village 
broken  up,  tod  they  were  compelled  to  be  altogether  wtodering ; 
but  virithm  a  few  ye&rs,  they  hfive  reresti^blished  their  village,  and 
iure  increasing  raprtHj. 

ARIKARA 

Live  1440  miles  up  the  Missouri,  in  two  villages,  an  indus- 
trious people,  but  from  the  attacks  of  their  neighbours,  are  una- 
ble to  hunt  iiny  odier  but  tine  bUflRiIoe,  though  their  cbuhtry 
abounds  in  gattte.  Thisy  are  at  present  on  very  friendly  terms 
with  the  whites,'  fh^h  guilty  a  few  years  ago  of  an  outrage  on 
a  party  comitianded  by  lieut.  Prior.  In  kiiy  Jdum&i  H  have  dwelt 
al  good  deal  on^the-customs  arid  c^haracter  of  these  peojrte,  whicb 
in  many  respects  are  peculiar  and  highly  iMeresdfig.  Thfey 
vJrere  ofi^hally  Pimi. 


INbUK  'KATlOKUt  hC'i^ODK  t 


n 


MANpAMtt  OR  «J10S.  VMXllKI* 

The  remnants  of  a  number  of  villagest  accoi;din||^  to  their 
accountf  seventeen.  They  claim  only  the  smail  portion  of  coun- 
try which  they  actually  occupy ;  in  this,  resembling  the  Arikaras. 
They  still  consist  of  seven  vitlages,  five  of  Gros  Ventres*  and  two 
of  MandanSf  in  the  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles.  They  are 
generally  on  good  terms  with  each  other,  but  at  present  there 
exists  eonsiderable  dissentions*  and  even  open  rupture.  There 
is  not  the  least  affinity  in  their  languages,  fawttlie  Gros  Ventre 
is  spoken  by  all  the  Maodans.  According  to  the  tradition  of 
these  last,  who  were  originally  of  the  Crow  nation,  owing  to  a 
quarrel  between  two  chiefs,  over  the  carcase  of  a  bufTaloc  which 
they  had  slain,  a  separation  took  place  of  the  followers  of  each. 

CHIEMMBS 

Are  a  wandering* natioot  on  the  keadvof  the' Chienn» river. 
Trade  with  the  Arikaras—speak  a  different  language  from  any 
nation  I  know.    Their  complexion  very  fair.    They  trade. also 

ivith  the  Spaniards,  and  have  a  great  number  of  horses,  &c. 

-/  m.     . 

8I0VX  TIU9XS. 

On  an  ancient  map  I  have  seen  ihem  named  Naddouwenn- 
DUX ;  the  Noddouwessces  of  Carvert  are  probably  a  band  of  Si« 
oux— Are  nearly  all  wandering  tribes,  and  may  be  considered  aa 
divided  into  four  nations,  the  SiouX}  Tetooi  Assineboin  and 
Bbckrfeet. 

TAintT0|l8} 

Wander  in  an  agreeable  oountry,  a  eonsidevable  portion 
of  which  is  woodland<>^trade  on  the  St.  Peters,  and-«n  the'  Mis- 
souri at  the  ri^ere  jI  Jaque.  Their  trade  is  not  valuable,  chiefly 
buffkloe  robes  and  deer  skins ;  they  are  the  most  friendly  ami 
peaeeable  of  the  Sioux  bands. 

YANK-TONS  OP  THE  NOATIf. 

On  Red  river  of  lake  Winipec,  and  trade  with  the  British 
establishments. 

WAHPA-TONl. 

On  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  river  St.  Peters,  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Chippoway  river. 


r» 


VnW8  OF  loumAif  A* 


"lllirDA-WAA*CARTOVf 

The  onljr  Sioux  band  which  attends  to  the  cultivation  of  the. 
earth ;  but  this  not  to  any  great  extent.  They  live  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi above  the  river  St  Peters.  Their  country  is  represent- 
ed as  tolerably  fertile,  and  well  watered. 

WAH-PA-COO-LA, 

On  the  S.  W.  side  of  the  river  St.  Peters,  from  a  place  cal- 
led Hardwood,  to  the  Yellow  Medicine  river,  some  traffic  with 
tiie  Yanktons  and  Tetons  west  of  them 

SKSSATOMB, 

On  the  upper  part  of  Red  river  and  the  St.  Peters.  This 
country  abounds  with  small  lakes,  and  is  valuable  for  animals, 
beaver,  otter,  muskrat,  martin,  8cc.  They  meet  the  Tetons,  8cc. 
on  the  riviere  d.  Jaque,about  the  months  of  May  and  June  to  trade, 
They  supply  the  Yanktons  with  articles  of  European  manufac- 
ture, and  receive  in  return,  horses,  kc. 

TXTONS,  BOIS  BRULB,  ABKAMDADA,  MIKIKINIAD-ZA,  BA-HONXi^ 

These  are  the  pirates  or  marauders  of  the  Missouri,  theio 
country  without  timber,  and  not  good  for  hunting,  except  as  to 
the  buffaloe,  they  have  therefore  hardly  any  thing  but  buffaloe 
robes  to  trade. 

The  Sioux  bands  claim  as  follows;  **  beginning  at  the  conflu- 
enceof  the  riviere  des  Moines  and  the  Mississippi,  thence  to  the 
river  St.  i^ers,  thence  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi  to  Crow 
Wing  river,  and  upwards  with  that  stream,  including  the  waters 
of  the  upper  part  of  Red  river  of  lake  Winipec,  ai«d  down  to 
the  Pemberton  river;  thence  a  S.  W.  course  to  intersect  the 
Missouri,  at  or  near  the  Mandanstand  with  that  stream,  down  to 
the  Warricon  river,  thence,  crossing  the  Missouri,  it  goes  to  in- 
clude the  lower  part  of  the  Chienne  river,  all  the  waters  of 
White  river,  and  Teton  river,  including  the  lower  portion  of  the 
Qui  Cpurre,  and  returns  with  that  stream  downward  to  the  Mis- 
souri, thence  eastward  to  the  beginning." 


^- 


WDIAN  iTATlONft,  flte^BOOK  I.  ft 

AniMEBOIM) 

JDMded  into  the/oUo<vi*ng  bmntU.^ 
Mmeto/teci  (gens  de  Canot,)  wander  on  the  MouM  riTer,  be- 
tween the  Atsineboin  and  the  Missouri.    Oaee-g«Mt  about  the 
mouth  of  the  little  Missouri*  to  the  Assineboin  river. 

Mah'to  fia-na-tOf  on  the  Missouri,  about  the  mouth  ol  the 
White  earth  river,  and  on  the  head  of  the  Assineboii^  and  Copelle 
rivers.  >    ■-  ■'  r^v.--'-'  ■ 

These  bands  trade  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  who 
have  establishments  on  the  Assineboin  and  (^opelle  rivers;  oc- 
casionally also  on  the  Saskashawin.  Tbeir  country  has  little 
or  no  timber. 


■X').iT 


BLACKVBET. 


They  wander  on  the  heads  of  the  Missouri,  Maria  river,  and 
along  the  Rocky  mountains,  they  are  also  Sioux.  They  trade  at 
the  same  establishments  with  the  Assineboin,  and  are  ?.!  war  with 
the  Crow  nation.  They  have  been  very  troublesome  to  our  tra- 
ders, to  whom  they  have  conceived  a  deadly  hatred.  Their  coun- 
try the  most  abundant  in  beaver  and  other  furs. 

OROS  VENTRES  OV  THE  PRAIRIE, 

Speak  the  Crow  language,  and  wander  on  the  south  fork  of 
the  Saskashawin..  . 

Mitiiuum  th*  I^keti  and  upper  part  ^the  Miatttaippi, 

•TnvbuO^'  CHIPPOWATS, 

Are  divided  into  three  bands,  one  in  a  village  on  an  island 
in  Leech  lake;  another  about  the  head  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
around  Red  lake,  and  the  third  on  R!ed  river,  of  lake  WinipeC| 
and  about  the  miouth  of  Pemberton  river.  They  wander  along 
the  hdies,  however,  to  a  great  distance.  They  are  the  inveterate 
enemies  of  the  Sioux;  with  whom  they  have  been  at  war  time 
immemorial.  Theur  country  is  tolerably  w^ll  covered  with  wood, 
but  abounds  with  morasses  and' lakes. 

ALGONilUINt 

Speak  the  same  language  with  the  Chippoways,  and  Uve  in  two 
bands,one  on  the  south  side  of  Rainy  lukc,  Rainy  Luke  rivi:  r,  and 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods ;  the  other  about  the  meiithb  of  the  Am 
%ineboin  and  Re4  rivers. 


^^^ 


^ 


10  vttws  OF  vavmtKHk. 

IMUTmiiaoii 

DoKen«liiiU^cif  tilt  Cm|ipb«ir«)ni-«>«ii  tli«  boki  of  the  Auinc 
bolDf  th«nc<i  towMTtlt  thtt  Snaliiuitwwui.  Thvy  aoight  be  imtuced 
10  imik  at  m  eaittiuikhmsiil  Oft  th«  MiMDUiv«l4lM  teoiUh  •{  tkt 
Yellow  Stone.  rh««r.  K 


iWrften*  aotiM  ^  Mr  JUImomN  attc/  ^A«fi«t«. 


nwd^. 


AtUTAN  BANDS,  OM  tMAKK  CNDlAMti 

vlw^  very  nomerois  tAee»  Wib  r^^e  il^fet  boi  litU  i»  in(ercourte 
vrlth  the  whitet.  Thry  ure  bttdljr  urnicdi  «»<)  <n\ich  nt  (he  mcrcjr 
of  the  other  Indtunft.  bf  whom  they  are  mitdc  Atuvet  when  tuken 
prisoneiii.  They  are  alto  called  C«inanchc».  They  waiulvr  about 
the  heads  of  the  PlattCt  and  in  the  vast  plains  bordering  on  New 
Mexico  and  New  Spain,  south  of  the  Arkansas  \  ai>d  are  divided 
into  many  bands.  They  possess  an  Immense  number  of  horses, 
asses,  and  mulei. 

,j^,  Cmoi»   INI»IAllt| 

On  the  Ycllesr  Stone,  and  heada  of  the  MlMourl  i  they  art 
divided  into  a  number  of  small  bands. 

Wander  along  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  sotheUmes  ventnrc 
acrost.  Probably  a  baml  of  the  Snake  Indians.  The  #*tfi/*iiru«, 
Kiowuy*^  8ic.  are  probably  banda  of  nations  already  enumerated, 
inhabit  an  arldi  unproductive  country.        M'->  ^y^tii^  mt\ 

CAUDOgUlS.  /  , 

Thirty-five  miles  west  of  the  main  brancb  of  lied  river,  W 
miles  by  land  above  Natchitoches,  Amuerly  Uved  374  miles  bigb* 
cr  up,  at  a  beautiful  prairie*  which  haa  a  lake  of  clear  water.  Th« 
nation  is  small,  but  the  warriors  greatly  celebrated  for  \\wu 
eoumge,  and  as  much  respected  by  tbeir  ucigUbours»  us  thf 
\nighta  of  Malta  were  in  Europe. 

VATTASCSS. 

Fifly  miles  above  Natchitochea  on  Bayou  Pierre,  there  li  i 
iMAail  French  scttlemrnt.  Thty  are  but  a  remnant,  but  Uvo  in  « 
fixed  village. 


Mirl  I  th«y  wt 


tND!4N  NATI01I%  ko.-'fiOOt  I. 


% 


On  th«  SabiMt  abity  or  Mt cntir  mUe«  ft«m  Um  YvUMcet. 
The  French  ted  fonsieriy  «  imawf  hcr«— kugu«Ktt  CmIu^. 

ADO&lBSt 

Fortjr  miles  from  NAtchtUM:he»— below  the  YttttMCet)  tin* 
guage  pQCuU«n*-exireiiiel]r  UiftkuU  to  tpeak. 

Near  Nacogdoche«>^ne«rSy  exterminated  a  few  jreara  ago 
by  the  amaU-pox<*-4Mngi>»ge  peculiar,  hut  speak  Cmiii6* 


hTit) 


ii 


On  the  Trinity  river,  near  where  the  rottd  to  St  Antonlb 
croaset  it.    Language  pecuiiiMr. 

TACSKKS, 

On  a  branch  of  the  Saline— hoiguage  Cadd6— ^ve  theii- 
naroe  to  the  province  of  TexMMf^-^/iMMiucketf  in  the  aame  neighs 
bourhuod. 

•KDOtht, 

On  the  Trinity,  about  sixty  miles  S.  of  the  Nacogdoch^ 
speak  Caddo,  but  have  a  pecuUar  language. 

AccoKxaAva, 

Two  ht;ndred  mUes  S.  W.  of  Nacogdoches,  on  the  W.  i^e 
of  the  Colerado— speak  a  peculiar  language— wander  about  the 
bay  ot  St.  Bcniard. 

MATBtj 

On  the  buy  of  St.  Bernard,  near  the  Guadaioupe— hate  tho 
Spaniards,  and  are  utuchcd  to  the  French — itave  a  tradition  of 
the  landingof  La  Saile  in  tliis  neighbourhood— speak  Attakape*. 

CARAMKOUAS, 

On  an  Island  or  Peninsula  in  the  !uy  of  St  Bernard,  \0  mlW* 
long  and  s  brosd<»at  war  with  the  S|>aiUard»— •  peculiar  tan< 
gusge. 

4 


« 


^w9 1)#  i<eifeiftii^NX. 


who  tot«Vij)y  ihk  tiHm^f^dhi  ilttt  hif  «r  9t,  Btrt^mt  MrbAs 
Grand  river,  towards  la  Vera  Crus.— >On  bad  terms  with  the 
Spaniards— Bpeak  a  peculiar  language. 

TANKAWATS) 

A  wandering  people,  ncni:  the  Rio  Grande. 

On  t^^  ^Hisli^i'W  l^id^HiilfbV'  ^tHne  fMMii  \At  l!h«  ptil^le  df 
the  Tortugo— usual  residence  300  miles  west  of  Nacogdoches, 
towards  Sta.  Fee — speak  Pani,  or  7hwiat/ie. 

FANI,  OR  TOWIACHE) 

Eight  huiAdred  miles  above  Natchitoches,  340  by  land.  Much 
dirainishe.'  six  or  eight  years  ago  by  the  small-pox. 

MATCHITOCHBS) 

Formerly  resided  where  the  town  of  Natchitoches  Is  YrbV  sit* 
uated—  Have  always  been  friendly  to  the  whites.  They  have 
dwindled  away  to  a  few  warriors. 

BOLUXAB) 

Emigrants  from  Pensacola — they  came  with  a  few  French 
families— arc  not  mure  than  thirty  in  number.    There  are,  be- 

^l^tfs^licV^f airmail  hmh  ort>lirti«s,  ori^lniitlly'fi>Mh'Plbrida,  the 
'Ii^>iiiiiitAr»,  on  'Bi^you'RtjIpir^e— imAte^(f«,  in  O^pfeldUM^CVfi- 
chntat^  of  the  same  nation  with  the  .//A6aiNii«,^^iitrigrated  to  the 
Sabine  about  (tfteen  ychrs  ago  — /'araMa*,  a  small  tribe  who  live 
on  the  Qulequcshoe  river,  which  heads  S.  W.  of  Natchitoches. 

'i^untifolM^  fiVeln  b  siYi^ll  village  «0  iiiiles'abdvt'Nuti^Hitbches. 

^iiiH^B»;  kt  Aviiyii!?,  eiiiigi^iits  'ft*om  Buyou  Tuttlch.  'All  thcic 

iKatl^B^peflk  the  'Moblliiin,  Whkh  was  foi'ltidrfy  the  coitn  l«ti- 
guage  amongst  the  Indian  nations  ol  I.uwcr  I.K}uisiana.  There 
Are  besides,  a  number  of  small  bands  of  C'/racros,  on  fia^ou  Bocuf> 
mx.  ttMt  Teche,  and  on  the  Sabine. 


INOlAy  NAtHOV^  l(OiTriQ0K  I. 


^ 


In  th«  IndWkn  Itiiffttagf  ibmm  black  head,  or  bUck  9Cft{{.^ 
TheyAMtborlglnetoftbisdUtviot  '» 

[t  ri^pUtajOpp  qC bciag  »o  (|#  dw  »n,t^^wi5H>|rt»sgj.  A  f  i^^lMh  Wi;it«V 

moi^t,  rfil«^oa  a  (a^  pC  twp  whUff  v)^^  wl>9  fell  ii^n  Mi<^i|!  )iiin4ii(> 

TBMSA8) 

Emigranti  from  the  T^nafi,  and  Baj9U  Boeuf.--- ^atAat)  for* 
merly  a  considerable  nation,  now  extinct^  lived  n^filr  Nciy  Or- 
leans, and  were  the  firB|:  with  ifhoni  the  Frenc|i  bec^^e  ac- 
c[uainted. 

ARCAMftAS) 

South  of  the  Arkansas  village,  descended  from  the  Oiage. 
'—The  Houmas  and  Avoyull  extinct. 

Indiana  on  the  ^fi»ti^Mi  i^tmi^v  M«  l^vmri  OpdfJI^e  jP^ 

qf  ^t.  4/ftf^on^. 

AYVWAI, 

Descended  from  the  Missouris,  and  c^um  the  country  west 
of  them.  Have  a  village  on  the  riviere  dea -Moines,  S.  E.  side^ 
but  arc  generally  wandering. 

SAUKBBS, 

One  hundred  and  forty  leagues  above  St.  Louis.  Trade  with 
the  merchants  from  Michilimackinac,  and  St.  Louis.  Live  with 
the  Foxes,  and  may  be  considered  as  identified  with  those  peo- 
ple. The  country  which  they  claim  lies  principally  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi.  On  the  west  side,  they  claim  the  coun- 
try of  the  ancient  Missouris  by  right  of  conquest,  without  de- 
fining any  portion  to  the  Ayuwas.  To  them  may  be  ascribed  the 
destruction  of  the  Piurias,  Kaskaskias,  Cahokiasi  Missouris, 
and  Illinois. 


m 


■^  >' VIBWB  OF  LOUISIANA, 


Lower  Louisiana^  when  first  discovered,  was  inhabited  by 
very  numtrous  nations;  the  accounts  given  bf  early  writers  are 
almost  incredible.  Charirvoix  states  that  about  the  year  1560, 
there  were  many  powerful  nations  in  what  was  then  called  Flori- 
da.  Outina,  Timo^oa,  and  Saturiora,  the  neighbours  of  Mons. 
Ribaut,  cbuld  each  command  eight  hundred  or  a  thousand  war- 
riors. Onoihaca,  and  Galo^,  one  on  the  eastern,  the  other  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Peninsula,  were  still  more  powerfiil.  In 
1 S65,  M.  Laudam^re  sentthirty  men  to  assist  Outina,  against  ano- 
ther chief,  named  Patanow,  whom  they  encountered  and  defeat- 
ed, his  force  consisting  of  two  thousand  men.  The  Baya  goulaa 
who  were  situated  near  the  mouth  of  tlie  Mississippi,  whcu  vis- 
ited by  }A.  P'Ibervil)e»  are  described  as  having  seven  hundred 
&milies  in  their  principal  town.  Charlevoix  gives  a  curious  de- 
scription of  their  tepopl^. 

In  Upper  Louisiana  (Tcr.  Missouri)  there  are  sever^'t^  small 
bands  scattered  through  the  settlements,  and  in  the  White  river 
country.  Near  Apple  creek  there  are  two  villages  of  Shawanese, 
a  sober  orderly  people,  and  another  <>\  >  e  same  on  the  |4ara* 
jnek.  In  i:he  White  river  country,,  idbo; .  ^vive  been  cf  late  consi- 
derable emigrations  of  Cherok«  es,  w^.o  ,,re  said  to  claim  it-^ 
Straggling  families  may  he  Mnii  ^r  11  seasons  of  the  year,  en- 
camped near  the  villagros,  and  oi:.  ihr  banks  of  tlie  Mississippi, 
who  subsist  by  vending  t^^  '-y^wl/i'M  of  their  hunting  to  the 
^hites.  These  straggiler'^  aiv  f tsualiy  a  miserable  and  degraded 
n^^',  hiVf  and  fiiUiy  in  the  extreme. 


^M 


INDIAN  NATIONS,  &o^BOOK  L 


as 


M  inhabited  by 
arljr  vritein  «re 
t  the  year  1560, 
icn  called  Flori- 
jours  of  Mons. 
a  thousand  var- 
the  other  on  the 
e  powerful.   In 
lina,  against  ano- 
:ered  and  defeat- 
rhe  Baya  goulat 
ssippi)  whcu  V18- 
I  seven  hundred 
^es  a  curioua  de- 

vce  several  sfnall 
the  White  river 
^csofShawanese, 
le  on  the  l^ava- 
leen  cf  late  ponsi- 
dd  to  claim  it.» 
I  of  the  year,  en- 


<F 


V'lM^ 


I 


U  »d  >>  M  C»  k9  ^ 

K  fi  S  i  B  ^'ac 

P    P    P    0}    X    f»  «^ 

A«      M      V*      £*  K*  M*    ED     ^^  tr    .^h 


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VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA!    ^f 


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5  >  .2  5 

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•-,§ 

^  ^§ 

before  the  change  of  government,  the  mode  of  carrying  od 
the  Indian  traffic,  like  all  other  colonial  trade,  wat  by  monopo- 
lies, in  which  the  interest  of  the  governor  or  intendant  was 
alone  consulted.  The  traders  obtained  the  exclusive  privileg* 
of  trading  to  a  particular,  tpibc,  or  upon  a  certain  riyer.  But 
they  were  cramped  jn  their  enterprise  by  the  narrow  views  of 
the  government,  who  established  no  forts  for  the  protection  of 
the  trade,  nor  would  sanction  the  esublishment  of  companies 
capable  of  protecting  themselves.  Since  the  change,  a  moro 
extended  theatre  has  been  opened,  both  on  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri;  ai^d  epterprising  individuals  have  ventured  up  those 
rivers  with  great  prospects  of  advantage.  The  merchandise 
consumed  in  this  trade,  was  chiefly  brought  from  New  Orleans 
or  Michilimakinac.  The  place  of  rendesvous  on  the  Missiasip*- 
pi,  was  at  prurie  du  Chien,  but  there  were  no  fixed  trading  esta- 
blishments. .  It  was  usual  for  the  t  aders  to  ascend  the  rivers  in 
the  autumn,  remain  during  the  winter  at  a  spot  considered  most 
convenient  for  the  resort  of  the  Indians,  and  return  to  St. 
Louis  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  in  the  spring,  with  the  pro- 
duce  of  their  traffic.  The  only  permanent  trading  establish- 
ments on  the  waters  of  the  Missouri,  were  those  of  Choteau's, 
on  the  Osage  river.  Others,  wintered  with  the  Mahas,  Poncas, 
and  at  different  points  on  the  river.  A  trader  of  the  name  of 
L'Oiselle,  had  a  fort  on  Cedar  ishuid,  iu  the  country  of  the  Si- 
oux, neai'ly  twelve  hundred  miles  up.  This  trade  could  not 
have  been  considerable  {  and  besides,  the  traders  were  exceed- 
ingly  harassed  by  vagabond  Indians,  who  frequently  pillaged, 
carried  away  in  captivity,  or  even  murdered  them  and  their 
men. 

Notwithstanding  the  freedom  of  trading  was  open  to  all,  on 
possession  being  taken  by  the  United  States,  it  was  not  until 
after  the  return  of  Lewis  and  Clark  from  their  expedition  that 
any  perceptible  change  took  place.  Mr.  Manuel  Lisa,  an  enter- 
prising gentleman  of  St.  Louis,  was  the  first  to  venture  towards 
the  source  of  the  Missouri  for  the  purpose  of  trading.  His  own 
capital  not  being  adequate  to  the  undertaking,  he  was  joined  by 
,  two  or  three  gentlemen  of  St.  Louis.  A  brief  account  of  his 
expedition,  as  it  may  be  considered  somewhat  connected  with 


90 


VfKW»  OF  "LOUiftlANA. 


iHfi  Mr' trade  of  Louifiiuna,  may  not  be  uninlcreflting  in  this 
place. 

He  set  off  in  the  spring  following  the  return  of  Lewis  and 
ClaH(.  Besides  his  own  bunts  there  were  two  others  in  «onipai>f, 
%Hich  constituted  a  luler.ible  force.  This  trading  expedition  wa^ 
ircry  different  from  a  journey  ofdiscovery.  The  dWficulties  would 
^cessarily  be  much  greater.  A  purtyof  men  weH  armed  and 
equfpped,  und  under  proper  submission  to  their  officers,  with  pre* 
ftcntl  to  bestow  to  the  liil^rent  tribes,  and  nM  incumbered  with 
•gooda  0r  effects,  might,  with  prudence,  pass  through  with 
mtichldss  difficulty.  The  case  is  different  where  the  trader 
hos  unririy  hnnds  to  nMHiage,who  thinli  themse^res  perfectly  at 
liberty  when  once  out  of  tlie  reach  of  lawt  ^vithout  dbcipline, 
1)bd(y  armed,  and  comitig  to  the  nations,  not  forihe  purpose  of 
making  presents,  but  of  trade.  All  tliese  obstacles  were  encoun- 
tered by  Lisa  aixl  the  traders  who  accompanied  him. 

Art  the  riirer  Hatte,  Lisa  nwt  one  of  Le^vis  and  Clark's  men, 
■of  the  name  <>f  Coulter,  who  had  been  discharged  at  the  Mandan 
vUiages,  at4iia  own^'equeftt,  ^hat  he  might  make  a  hunt  before 
-be  returned.  X?-ouUcr  wus  persuaded  to  return :  his  knowledge 
(oftbccountryand  nations  rendered  him  an  acfiuisition.  Lisa  passed 
«lie  country  «ftli«  SiouK,  witliout  finding  any  of  that  nation.  On  his 
turnfti  at  the  Arikara  villages,  his  i«crption  was  such  as  to  require 
-Ibc  oKl^bif^on^proJence  and  courage.  Two  or  three  htindred 
iWArriors  were  drawn  up,  and  on  his  approach,  such  as  had  fire 
Aims  fired  a  voNeyhefare  his  boat,  to  indicate  the  place  where  he 
showld  laod.  Me  accordingly  pvK  to  shore,  but  instantly  made  it 
iLooMm,  that  no  one  of  them  was  to  enter  hie  bout :  the  chiefs  at 
the  same  time  appointed  wai'riors  to  stand  guurd  and  keep  off 
the  oroMrd.  TIm  women,  who  alwuys  trade  amongst  these  na- 
itioBB,  came  to  the  beach  with  bags  of  corn,  which  they  offered : 
an  Indian  rushed  forward,  cut  open  the  bags  with  his  knife, 
vhiie  the  women  took  to  flight.  Lisa,  who  was  perfectly  ac- 
.quainted  with  the  Indian  character,  knowing  that  the  kast  appear- 
ance ol  alarm  would  be  dangerous,  instantly  caUed  his  men  to 
at ms,  pointed  a  couple  of  swivels  which  were  fixed  on  his  boats, 
and  made  every  preparation  for  defence.  The  Indians  perceiv- 
ing thii|  dispersed iu  contusion  i  wid  after  some  time,  the  chiei^ 


INMAN  l«AHOV»,flic.— BOOK  I.  fl 

(^roachtd  wUh  pin*  of  pc«ctr  extended  b«rQve  Uicra  in  llicir 
h»ndc.  U^mtdLioif  a«0n*  of  r«coiic> 'v«tion,  th«y  cmpe  to  htm,: 
9Dd  accord^g  lo  t|H:ii*  cuilmnf  tirok«d  biin  on  Uh:  Ahoii4deirii|f 
begging  him  not  i»  bo  dispteased^  declorinis  that  the  IndMit 
who  had  offead^sd  iHin  waa  conaidered  a  bad  man.  This  hud  a> 
g:ood  effect,  and  enabled  hha  to  proceed  on  his  vorave  Mrttho«t 
further  moleatution.  *:  ■     .:  ,i:  ..t  v,     i.u 

On  hia  arrival  at  the  Srat  Manda»  vUIage,  h4  detenrflicd:  to 
proceed  through  tlMte  vitlagea^  which  are  aHuoted  at  intervals 
along  the  ri^ii  m  the  dittance  of  about  twemjr  miles,  while  hb- 
iiioate  conlinued  to  ascend.    At  this  vslhige,  be  held  the  oataui 
co«ncil  with  tlie  chiefs,  aiid  presented  tliem  a  few  rolls  •£' 
tobacco,  and  cfther  articles,  and  was  permitlcd  to  continiM  h\m 
journey.    At  the  tlnrd  viNafpc,  his  presents  were  rejected*  ami- 
the  chief  demanded  some  powder,  which  was-  relased :  Lisa, 
knew  that  his  life  was  in  no  danger  white  his  death  coi»M  not 
procure  them  his  goods,  and  resisted  their  repeated  solicitations 
in  a  bold  and  firm  manner ;  he  told  them  that  they  might  kill' 
him,  but  that  his  properqr  would  be  safe.    Tliey  were  finally 
compeUfid  to  accept  of  such  presents  as  be  oflbred. 

Afisw  days  after,  having  passed  the  Mandans,  he  espied  the 
Assineboin  nation  apf  roaching,  in  a  body  of  fiwror  five  thou* 
sand  snuls.  These  waadering  people  had  learned  from  thelt' 
scouts,  the  approach  of  the  traders.  The  whole  praine».to  use 
his  expression,  was  red  with  them  ;  some  on  horseback,  others  on 
foot,  and  ail  paimed  fior  war.  His  situation  required  the  otmosi 
boklncBsaad  intrepidity.  Hechargcd  his  swivels  and  made  <Hreetiy 
across  to  the  saTagos,  and  when  he  had  come  wMhln  an  htMMked 
yards,  the  match  was  put,  whsie  there  was  at  the  sitme  tame,  a  ge-* 
nenki  di9char}{i<  of  snaU  arms.  This  was  intended  to  strike  them 
with  terror ;  the  effect  was  ifudicaous,  they  fell  back,  tumbled  over 
each  other,  and  fled  to  the  liiils  with  precipitadon.  A  lew  of  the 
warriors  and  chiefs  only  remained.  The  p*p«r  of  peace  was  pre> 
semed,  and  matters  conchided  amicably.  He  continued  his  voy- 
age to  the  Yellow  Stone  river,  which  he  ascended  about  One 
hundred  and  seventy  miles,  to  the  Big  Horn  river,  where  he 
buik  a  trading  fort.  He  shortly  after  despatched  Coulter,  the 
hunter  before  mcmioned,  to  bring  some  of  ^  Indian  nations  to 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Hiotographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  K580 

(716)  872-4503 


pi 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


trade.  This  man,  with  a  pack  of  thirty  pounds  weight,  His  gun 
and  some  ammunition,  went  upwards  of  five  hundred  miles  to 
the  Crow  nation ;  gave  them  information,  and  proceeded  from 
thence  to  several  other  tribes.  On  his  return,  a  party  of  In- 
dianr^  in  whose  company  he  happened  to  be,  was  attacked* 
and  he  was  lamed  by  a  severe  wound  in  the  leg ;  notwithstand- 
ing which,  he  returned  .o  the  establishment,  entirely  alone 
and  without  assistance,  several  hundred  miles.  Yet  such  instan* 
oes  of  intrepidity  would  not  be  regarded  amongst  .hose  people, 
as  any  way  extraordinary.  How  should  those  blush,  who  are  con- 
tinually  whining  about  the  little  inconveniences  and  privations 
of  common  life  !  Lisa  remained  nine  months  at  this  place.  He 
returned  to  St.  Louis,  having  indemniiied  himself  for  his  voy- 
age, by  considerable  benefits.  But  he  ha>';l  not  chosen  the  proper 
VDuntr)-,  as  the  north  side  of  the  Missouri  was  much  more  abun- 
(  nt  in  furs,  and  of  a  more  valuable  quality. 

After  the  return  of  Lisa,  the  favorable  reports  which  he 
made,  induced  a  number  of  gentlemen  to  turn  their  attention  to 
this  trade,  and  in  a  short  time  a  company  was  formed  under  the 
name  of"  the  Mi&'^ouri  Fur  Company;"  of  this  association  Lisa 
became  a  member,  and  has  been  one  of  the  most  active  and  use- 
ful. The  company  was  composed  of  ten  persons ;  but  the  capi- 
tal was  greatly  inadequate,  not  exceeding  forty  thousand  dollars. 
Having  collected  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  they  ascend- 
ed the  Missouri;  left  trading  establishments  with  the  Sioux,  the 
Arikaras,  and  Mundans,  but  the  principal  part  proceeded  to  the 
three  forks  of  the  Missouri,  the  country  most  abounding  in  bea- 
yert  for  their  intention  was  to  hunt  as  well  as  trade,  and  the  great- 
er number  of  the  men  were  hunters*  But  they  had  not  beei) 
long  here  until  they  found  their  hopes  entirely  frustrated  by  the 
hostilities  of  th^  ^lack-feet  Indians,  a  numerous  tribe,  who  had 
unfortunately  been  rendered  inimical  to  the  Amersans  by  an 
unlucky  affair,  in  which  Lewis  and  Clark,  on  their  return,  had 
killed  two  or -three  of  their  nation;  besides,  probably  instigated 
by  the  jealousy  of  the  Bi-itish  companies.  A  party  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  American  hunters  were  attacked  by  surprise,  and  nine 
killed.  The  greatest  precaution  was  found  necessary  in  going* 
WMQ  hunt}  they  w^nei  at  length  so  much  harasied  by  the  sava** 


INDIAN  NATIONS,  &c.->BOOK  I. 


9i 


ges,  as  to  be  compelled  to  remain  altogether  at  their  fort,  or  to 
venture  but  a  short  distance  from  it.  It  is  supposed  that  in  tho 
different  rencounters  with  these  savages,  at  least  twenty  of  the 
whites  were  killed,  and  nearly  twice  that  number  of  the  others. 
Thus  a  most  implacable  enmity  has  been  unfortunately  excited) 
which  will  for  a  long  time,  exclude  our  traders  and  huntcrS) 
from  that  part  of  the  western  country  by  far  the  most  favorable 
for  their  pursuits.  It  is  supposed  that  had  they  continued  unmo- 
lested) the  company  would  have  brought  down  the  first  year, 
three  hundred  packs  of  beaver  alone.  Instead  of  which  there 
were  scarcely  twenty.  The  following  spring  a  considerable 
number  of  the  party  descended  the  river ;  the  remainder  con- 
tinued until  autumn,  when,  fearing  a  general  attack,  and  finding 
the  situation  otherwise  exceedingly  irksome,  Mr.  Henry,  one  of 
the  company,  who  now  commanded  the  party,  resolved  to  cross 
the  mountains,  and  winter  on  some  of  the  branches  of  the  Co- 
lumbia; this  he  accordingly  effected,  but  not  without  suffering 
every  possible  hardship,  from  hunger,  cold,  and  fatigue.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  company  suffered  considerable  loss  from  the  ac- 
cidental burning  of  one  of  their  factories ;  this  was  estimated  at 
fifteen  thousand  dollars.  The  establishments  at  the  Mandans 
and  Arikaras,  brought  no  profit.  In  the  spring  of  the  year  1811) 
the  third)  and  by  the  time  fixed  for  the  duration  of  the  associa- 
tion) the  last,  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  by  the  company,  the 
command  of  which  was  given  to  Lisa,  whom  I  accompanied.  By 
his  prudence  and  good  management,  the  affairs  of  the  company 
were  in  some  measure  retrieved.  A.fter  remaining  sometime  at 
the  Mandan  villages,  he  was  joined  by  Mr.  Hemy  and  all  his  par- 
ty, who  brought  about  forty  packs  of  beaver.  Leaving  trading 
establishments  at  the  Mandans,  Arikaras,  and  with  the  Sioux, 
he  descended  to  St.  Louis.  It  appeared  that  at  the  termination 
of  the  third  year,  notwithstanding  all  these  unforeseen  difiicuities 
and  misfortunes,  the  company  had  saved  the  capital,  and  had  be- 
sides the  establishments  before  mentioned.  I  have  been  inform- 
ed that  the  company  has  been  renewed,  and  its  capital  consider- 
ably enlarged. 

Such  is  the  present  situation  of  the  Indian  trade.    Besides 
$hc  Missouri  company)  there  are  many  individuals,  who  trade 


if 


^• 


,  yVlBWS  OP  LOUISIANA.  , 


vith  nations  on  the  Mississippi)  or  on  the  Missouri^^as  high  s^  the 
Muhas.  There  are  few  of  the  Indian  tribes  who  hunt;  thejr 
have  hitherto  had  little  encouragement ;  and  besides,  the  con- 
titiuai  wars  which  prevail  amongst  Uiem,  renders  k  impractica- 

A  welif  regulated  campjuiy,  with  sufficient  capital^,  would  in  a 
very  slwrt  tinu:  draw  ii^mensc  profits  from  the  Indian  trade  of 
the  Mississippi  and  Missouri.     A  very  great  propordon  of  the 
North  West  Company's  trade,  would  find  its  way  down,  those  ri- 
vers.   The  city  of  New  York  is  highly  interested ;  ittT  situatioi^ 
muy  render  it  the  rival  of  Montreal  in  this  trade ;  the  climate  oi^ 
New  Orleans  is  unfavourable  to  furs  and  peltries^     Near  the 
heads  of  all  the  western^  rivers,  tributary  to  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri,  there  are  immense  numbers  of  the  beaver,  muskratK 
otter,  and  other  furred  animals.  An  extensive  company*  well  es- 
t^tishedt  might  count  upon  a  thousand  packs  annually,  besides  a 
vast  namber  of  buffaloe  robes,  which  will  be  found  of  much  use 
in  the  slave  states,  as  a  cheap  and  comfortable  bedding  for  ne- 
groes. The  buffaloe  would  furnish  other  articles  of  trade,  wool, 
horns,  tongues.  See.  which  would  also  be  considerable.     Wolf, 
bear,  elk,  and  deer  skins,  might  be  had  in  immense  quantities. 
It  requires  no  gUt  of  prophecy  to  tell,  that  such  a  company  will 
not  be  long  in  forming.  Shcmld  Canada,  in  the  present  st^ruggle, , 
be  wrested  from  Britain^  it  would  be  immediately  established. 

The  establislnnent  of  &ctoriesby  the  United  States,  in  the  In* 
^aa  country^  have  ha4  good  effects  where  they  are  accompanied 
by  forts,  with  a  small  number  of  soldiers ;  they  keep  those  nations 
in  awe,  and  enable  the  tr<iders  or  hunters  to  traverse  the  coun^^ 
try  in  security.  The  factory  highest  on  the  Missouri,  is  at, fort 
Osage^  three  hundred  miles  £rom  its  entrance:  two  more  might 
be  established  advantageously  on  this  river;  one  at  the  Council, 
piuffsy  and  another  fit  the  little  Cedar  isla|i4* 


'i^M.- 


^mi^ 


COUNtRY  ON  COLUMBIA.^BOOK  I. 


95 


€»iJPT£B  VIL 


:r  f>  ;" 


'■,h'!.>.^ 


VIEW  Of  Tltfe  COTTNTRT  ON  THE  COLUMBIA. 


BUT  little  is  yet  known  of  this  extensive  section  of  our  con- 
Unent;  it  is  certain,,  that  it  is  on  a  much  larger  scale  than  the 
tract  east  of  the  AUoganies  to  the  Atlaiuic,  but  it  must  be  admit- 
ted, that  i*:s  relative  position  with  the  rest  of  the  world,(exceptas 
to  the  East  Indies)  is  much  less  advantageous.  Its  remoteness 
from  any  Europeaii  country  or  settlement,  will  discourage  the 
establishment  of  colonies.  Before  its  colonization  can  be  effected^ 
the  same  obstacles  as  were  ^encountered  by  nearly  all  the  color 
nists  in  America,  must  be  overcome,  and  perhaps  still  greater. 

This  tract  diiters  from  that  fast  of  the  Allegany  in  one  res- 
pect, and  which  is  of  considerable  moment ;  it  does  not  opea  vo 
the  ocean  by  fine  bays,  and  by  large  navigable  rivers,  crossing 
it  parallel  to  each  other.  The  cause  of  this  difference  princi- 
pally arises  from  a  chain  of  mountains,  which  runs  with  the  coesty 
seldom  receding  more  than  sixty  miles.  The  Columbia,  and  tlie 
Multnomak,  its  southern  branch,  are  both  confined  between  thi9 
ridge  and  the  principal  mountains,  until  after  flowing  towarda 
each  other,  the  one,  a  thousand, «nd  the  other,  nearly  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles,  they  break  through  the  ridge  before  mentioned,  and 
find  their  way  to  the  sea,  uniting  their  waters  about  sixty  nule» 
frpm  it.  The  other  rivers  which  rise  in  the  Rocky  r-iountain% 
instead  of  falling  into  the  sea,  become  tributary  either  tu  th9 
Multnomak  or  the  Columbia. 

Next  to  .the  Mississippi,  this  river  and  its  tributaries,  water  ' 
a  greater  eittenjt  of  country  than  any  river  of  our  continent,  not 
even  excepting  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  distance  from  the  source 
of  the  Columbia,  to  that  of  the  Multnomak,  which  rises  with  the 
Colerado  of  California,  is  not  less  than  two  thousand  miles.  The 
Multnomak  was  not  discovered  by  Lewis  and  Clark  when  des- 
cending the  Columbia,  its  entrance  being  concealed  by  an  is- 
land; on  re-ascending  the  Columbia,  those  celebrated  travellers 
were  astonished  at  the  sight  of  a  noble  river  little  inferior  to  tli<r1 
principal  stream, 


96 


VIMWl  OP  LOUISIAVA. 


Tho  landtt  immodiately  in  tho  vicinity  of  the  Columbia,  arc 
reproKonted  u»  rich  and  highly  luiceptlbla  of  cultivation}  but  tho 
country  in  general  it  too  open,  and  deficient  in  wood.  Tho  cli' 
mate  la  more  tumperatc  than  tho  same  latiiudea  in  tho  United 
Statet.  Near  tht!  aca,  however,  there  prevail!  almott  continued 
fogt  and  dritxling  thowert  of  r|dn,  which  rondori  it  extremely 
diaagreeable. 

The  natives  on  tho  Columbia  and  Its  branches  are  vtry  nu- 
m«it>ua  Gen.  Clark  informed  mo  that  their  numbers  ntight  bo 
«Mf«ly  eatinmtcd  at  eighty  thousand  souls. 

The  route  taken  by  Lewis  and  Clark  across  the  mountaini» 
\«ras  perhaps  the  very  worst  that  could  have  been  selected.  Mr. 
IItinry,a  member  of  tho  Missouri  company,  and  his  hunters,  havo 
disc  dvered  several  passes,  iK)t  only  very  practicable,  but  even 
in  their  present  state,  less  difficult  than  those  of  tho  Allegany 
motuUuina.  These  are  considerably  south  of  the  source  of 
Joflbrson  river.  It  is  the  opinion  of  (he  gentleman  last  men- 
tioned, that  loaded  horses,  or  even  w^gohs,  might  in  its  present 
•tatc,  go  in  the  course  of  six  or  eight  days,  from  a  navigable 
point  on  the  '''oluntbia,  to  one  on  tho  wa^cfs  of  the  Missouri.—- 
Thus,  rendering  an  intercourse  with  settlements  which  may  bo 
ibrmed  on  the  Columbia,  more  easy  than  between  those  on  tho 
heads  of  the  Ohio,  and  tho  Atlantic  statet.  Mr.  Henry  winter- 
ed in  a  delightful  country,  on  a  beautiful  navigable  stream. 

An  attempt  is  now  making  to  form  establishments  on  tho 
Columbia,  with  what  success,  is  not  yet  much  known.  This  has 
been  undertaken  by  a  company  in  the  city  of  New  York,  at  the 
head  of  which  we  find  Jacob  Astot.  TVo  vessels  were  ifcspotcU- 
cd  for  the  mouth  of  tho  river,  we  are  informed,  with  orders  to 
commence  an  establishment.  A  party  of  about  eighty  men  un- 
der the  command  of  Wilson  P.  Hunt,  and  a  blather  of  Sir  Alex. 
M'Rensie,  who  was  formerly  in  the  employment  of  the  N.  W. 
company,  has  proceeded  across  tho  mountains.  The  princi- 
pal object  of  the  company  at  present,  seems  to  be  the  establish- 
ment of  a  fur  trade  tlirect  with  China.  The  valuable  sea-otter, 
and  the  fine  furs  which  may  be  obtained  in  this  country  in  great 
quantities,  will  undoubtedly  produce  considerable  profits.  Whe- 
•"^hcP  t1rtc  rejMVnH  could  be  intwduccd  Into  the  United  States  a* 


CUUNTHY  ON  OOLUMDtA.-BOOK  I. 


trois  the  Rocky  mounttlnst  to  «ny  advantage,  might  be  worthy 
of  oxporiment.  A  shortening  of  the  distance,  by  more  than  a 
thousand  leagues,  will  certainly  make  it  an  object,  to  lessen  the 
the  expense  and  difficulty  of  transporting  goods  across  the  moun* 
tains,  and  down  the  Missouri.  It  is  worthy  of  consideration,  that 
urlicles  usually  imported  from  the  East  Indies  are  not  of  great 
bulk,  or  weight,  that  a  small  compass  will  include  goods  of  great 
value.  Hence  this  trunuportation  will  be  attended  with  much 
less  difficulty^ 

There  can  bo  little  doubt  but  that  the  United  States  have  the 
best  claim  to  the  country  watered  by  the  Columbia,  at  least  of 
the  groaler  part.  If  not  as  a  part  of  Louisiana,  yet  by  the  right 
of  discovery,  universally  acknowledged  by  European  nations, 
with  respect  to  this  continent.  We  have  besides  exercised  vm.*- 
ous  ucts  of  ownership  over  it,  and  the  colony  at  present  forming, 
is  under  the  pratoction  and  license  of  our  government. 


/> 


A 

Ind 
der 
wel 
int 
posi 

33« 
fiftj 
bou 
side 
a  pi 
Mis 
was 
Saci 
ade 
18  u 

east 


houn 


BOOK  It. 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA; 


IN  TWO  BOOKS. 


TERRXTORY  OF  THE  MISSOURI 


CHAPTER  I. 


90UVOABIKS....EKTSIfT....|iIVB&SM...eaMERAL  VIEW* 


il.LTHOUQH  the  executive  exercises  authority  out  of  the 
Indian  boundary,  the  territory  itself  cannot  properly  be  consi* 
dered  as  extending  beyond  xt;  the  territorial  governor)  acts  as 
well  in  the  capacity  of  a  general  agent  for  the  United  States*  as 
in  that  of  civil  magistrate.  The  judiciary  has  determined  that  it 
possesses  no  jurisdiction  over  the  Indian  country. 

The  territory  of  the  Missouri  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the 
S3*  of  lat.  which  strikes  the  Mississippi  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  below  the  Arkansas,  and  constitutes  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  state  of  Louisiana.  On  the  west,  it  mxy  be  con- 
sidered  as  bounded  by  the  Osage  purchase  ;*  this  line  runs  from 
a  place  called  the  Black  rock,  about  .three  hundred  mileft  up  the 
Missouri,  due  south  to  strike  the  Arkansas.  On  the  north,  a  line 
was  agreed  upon  in  a  treaty  between  governor  Harrison,  and  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  which  begins  at  a  point  opposite  the  Gascon* 
ade  river,  and  strikes  the  Mississippi  at  the  Jaufloine  river.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  observe,  that  the  Mississippi  bounds  on  the 
east.  !       ■ 


*  Except  <m  the  south  of  the  Arkansas,  where  there  ii  no  westera 
boundary. 


100 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA 


1 1 


This  embraces  an  extent  of  cou.Ary  nearly  three  times  so, 
large  as  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  and  which  contains  a  much 
greater  proportion  of  tillable  land.  The  section  north  of  the 
Missouri,  and  the  one  south  of  the  Arkansas,  are  each  sufllicicnt 
to  form  u  considerable  state ;  but  the  Osage  Purchase,  consti- 
tutes the  principal  body  of  the  territory,  and  may  be  justly  con- 
sidered, next  to  the  state  of  I^ouisiana,  the  most  valuable  tract  in 
the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

A  description  of  the  principal  rivers,  with  some  account  of 
the  portions  of  country  watered  by  them,  will  give  some  view 
of  this  tract :  reserving  the  tract  including  the  settlements  for  a 
more  minute  description. 

WMITE  RIVER. 

This  fine  river  was  little  known  until  lately ;  it  is  one  of  the 
most  considerable  in  the  western  country,  and  will  one  day  be 
important.  It  was  thought  to  be  a  stream  of  very  inconsiderable 
magnitude,  until  explored  by  capt.  Many,  of  the  U-  S.  army,  aud 
rendered  known  from  settlements  made  on  it,  and  from  wander- 
ing hunters.  It  rises  in  the  Black  mountains,  which  separate  the 
waters  of  the  Arkansas  from  those  of  the  Missouri  and  Missis- 
sippi. Several  of  its  branches  interlock  with  those  of  the  Osago 
river,  the  Mar^imek,  and  the  St  Francis.  It  is  navigable,  accord- 
ing to  the  computation  of  several  hunters  with  whom  I  have  con- 
versed, about  twelve  hundred  miles,  without  any  considerable 
interruption  ;  eight  hundred  of  these  may  be  made  with  barges, 
the  rest  with  canoes,  or  smaller  boats.  The  waters  of  this  river 
«re  clear  and  limpid,  the  current  gentle,  and  even  in  the  dri- 
est season,  plentifully  supplied  from  the  numerous  and  excel- 
lent springs  which  lire  every  where  found.  It  is  not  less  remark- 
able for  the  many  considerable  rivers  which  it  receives  in  its 
course.  Qlaok  river  is  the  largest  of  these  ;  it  enters  on  the  N. 
£.  side,  About  four  hundred  miles  up,  and  is  navigable  nearly 
jive  hundred  miles,  receiving  a  number  of  handsome  rivers,  as 
the  Current,  Eleven  Point,  and  Spring  rivers.  The  last  merits  a 
more  particular  description.  It  issues  forth,  suddenly,  from  an 
immense  spring,  two  hundred  yards  in  width,  affording  an  un- 
interrupted navigation  to  its  mouth,   cqntracting  its  width, 


CRNERAL  VIBW  — BOOK  II. 


101 


however  to  fifty  or  sixty  yut  ds.  It  is  about  fifty  miles  in  length.*' 
This  spring  is  full  of  the  fine  :  fish ;  buss,  perch,  pike,  and  others 
common  in  the  wcst;crn  rivers.  Besides  this  river,  White  river 
receives  several  others  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hun* 
dred  miles  in  length ;  as  Baux  Cache' j  James  river,  Ra/tid  JoAn, 
and  others  known  by  various  names. 

The  country  watered  by  this  river  has  only  been  traversed  by 
Indians  and  hunters,  and  may  be  considered  as  still  unexplored. 
It  is  spoken  of  with  rapture  by  those  who  have  seen  it ;  it  is  de- 
scribed as  being  generally  well  wooded,  and  uncommonly  abun- 
dant in  springs  and  rivulets.  The  soil  is  suid  to  be  rich,  though 
there  arc  some  places  hilly  and  broken ;  some  of  the  hills  might 
be  more  properly  termed  mountains.  A  hunter  described  to  mo 
three  high  and  remarkable  hills,  about  eight  hundred  miles  up 
the  river,  standing  on  a  plain,  and  perfectly  unconnected  with  any 
ridge.  T  jy  are  each  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  their 
form  oblong ;  two  stand  parallel  and  the  third  across ;  at  a  dis- 
tance, giving  the  appearance  of  three  wal's  of  some  immense 
building.  It  has  been  called  Jupiter's  PalaCe.  Hunters  agree  in 
declaring  that  on  the  waters  of  this  river,  a  country  may  be  cho- 
sen, at  least  one  hundred  miles  square,  not  surpassed  by  the  best 
parts  of  Kentucky,  and  one  of  thu  best  for  settlements  in  thtt 
western  world. 

ST.    FRANCIS,       ' 

Discharges  itself  into  the  Mississippi  seventy-five  miles 
above  White  river,  and  would  be  navigable  but  for  rafts  which 
impede  its  course,  for  nine  hundred  miles.  The  western  branch 
rises  with  the  waters  of  White  river,  and  the  eastern,  which  is 
the  prhicipal,  interlocks  with  Big  river,  of  the  Maramek<  It  is 
very  erroneously  laid  down  on  the  common  maps;  its  general 
course  is  much  further  cast:  the  principal  branch  in  fact,  runs 
nearly  parallel  with  the  Mississippi  in  its  whole  length,  and  sel- 
dom recedes  more  than  fifty  miles.  It  is  a  beautiful  and  limpid 
stream,  passing  through  a  charming  country,  but  afterviards, 
though  increased  in  size,  by  its  junction  with  several  other  ri-r 


*  A  town  or  village  has  been  lately  commenced  at  the  mouth  of  thi^ 
jiver. 


f02 


VIEWS  OP  L0UT81ANA. 


vers,  it  flows  with  a  slow  and  lasy  current.  The  St.  Prancift 
communicates  with  a  number  of  lakes  which  lie  between  it  and 
the  Mississippi,  formed  by  the  streems  which  flow  from  the  up- 
land country,  and  lose  themselves  in  the  low  grounds  commenc- 
ing at  Cape  Girardeau.  This  river  receives  several  considera- 
ble streams,  which  rise  between  it  and  tt;e  Mississippi;  the  Pq* 
niiaco  has  its  source  near  the  Big  prairie,  eight  or  ten  miles 
N.  W.  of  New  Madrid;;  but  generally, the  St.  Francis  in  high 
water  overflows  its  banks  on  that  side  to  a  great  distance.  A  per- 
son, at  such  times  may  easily  lose  the  channel,  unless  well  ac- 
quainted with  its  course.  The  western  bank  is  generally  high« 
er  and  much  le&s  subject  to  inundation. 

IfAUAMEK} 

Is  forty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and  headij 
with  the  Gusconade  and  the  St.  Francis.  Passes  generally 
through  a  broken  country,  the  fluts  ntostly  narrow.  It  affords 
excellent  navigation  to  its  source,  a  distance  of  more  than  three 
hundred  miles.  The  source  of  this  river  is  considered  a  curios.^ 
ity  i  it  is  a  small  lake  formed  from  fountains  issuing  immediate-* 
ly  around  the  spot.  Big  river,  which  winds  through  the  Mine 
«ountry,  is  the  principal  branch. 

THE  OASCONAOEi 

Enters  the  Missouri  about  one  hundred  miles  up,  can  be  as- 
cended in  small  boats  nearly  one  hundred  miles,  but  the  navi- 
gation is  not  good  on  account  of  shoals  and  rapids.  It  passes 
through  ^  hilly  country,  in  which  th«*4'e  probably  exist  mines. 

OSAGE  R. 

Navigation  about  five  hundred  miles,  though  considerably 
hnpeded  in  places  by  shoals.  Enters  ^he  Missouri  123  miles 
up.  Principal  navigable  branches  are  Nangira,  Grand  river;, 
the  Fork,  the  Cooks  river,  Vermillion  river.  Country  border- 
ing, generally  high  prairie,  but  the  bottoms  are  fine  and  sufiici- 
ently  timbered  for  settlements.  On  the  Nangira,  about  twenty 
miles  from  its  mouth,  there  is  a  curious  cascade  of  more  than 
pne  hundred  ^nd  fifty  feet  fall  in  the  distance  of  four  hundred 
yards;  the  water  issues  from  a  large  spring  and  is  precipitated 


FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  &e.— BOOK  It. 


10^ 


over  three  different  ledges  of  rocks,  and  (ailing  to  the  bottom,  is 
collected  into  a  beautiful  tMsin,  from  whence,  it  flows  into  this 
rivtr,  a  considerab  'enm.  A  few  miles  below  tliis  place  there 
is  a  great  abundance  o.  iron  ore. 


ir% 


CHAFFER  II. 

sbiL— VAGB   or   THB    COUNTRY,   ScC.    FROM    NEW    MADRIO    tO 
THE  MISSOURI— THE  FORKS  OF  THE  MISSOURI. 

ABOUT  twenty  miles  below  Cape  Girardeau,  wd  thirty- 
live  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the  limestone  rock  terminates 
abruptly,  and  there  commences  an  immense  plain,  stretching 
with  scarcely  any  interruption,  to  the  Balize.  There  is  but  one 
place  in  which  the  hilly  country,  on  that  side,  can  be  seen  from 
the  Mississippi.*  It  is  successively  traversed  by  the  St.  FranciS) 
White  river,  Arkansas,  Washita,  and  Red  river.  This  flat  may 
be  con&idered,  on  an  average,  about  thirty  miles  wide,  and  with 
hardly  an  exception,  is  without  a  hill,  or  a  stone.  The  soil,  is 
generally  rich,  and  has  the  appearance  of  being  alluvial^  though 
there  is  a  greater  proportion  of  sand,  than  is  usual,  in  the  neigh^ 
bourhood  of  the  rivers.  It  is  a  common  idea,  but  very  erroneous) 
that  this  is  a  continued  swamp,  or  rather  low  land,  subject  to  in- 
undation. There  are  doubtless  a  great  many  swamps,  and  lakeS) 
interspersed  with  the  plains ;  but  there  are  also  extensive  bodies 
of  land  fit  for  cultivation.  The  swamps,  and  wet  lands,  I  think, 
might  be  drained  without  any  great  difficulty.  At  some  future 
day,  this  will  be  the  Flanders  of  America. 

It  is  worthy  of  observation,  that  from  the  Maramek,  to  tli» 
mouth  of  the  St.  Francis,  upwards  of  five  hundred  miles,  no  ri' 
ver  of  any  consequence,  empties  into  the  L'lississippi ;  the  con- 
siderable rivers,  as  the  St.  Francis,  Black  river,  and  Osage,  fall 
to  the  S.  W.  or  to  the  Missouri.  It  is  therefore  probable,  that 


*  A  few  miles  below  the  8t  Francis,  the  hills  approach  witbin  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  river.  The  S.  W.  side  of  the  Arkansas,  the  high- 
land comet  within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  the  Mississippi. 


m 


VtfeWii  or  LOWiSllAHA. 


J.. 


jm- 


tVlllts  Wt»t  ttf  Ihte  Mlii*lihHi|il,  Will  U«  *rAt^t*lei<  ttt  mni  kv«l  by  ll«i«i« 
thAm\el».    tn  thift  »itthmife4'  flwoilA)  thet-t  l*  tA\  AlMmni  fctthUhUii^ 

«l'lh*^ct  rtt  lUl  i^eibJi  A|)etM!iotMiu\y  go  rit)rtl  *hls  Hvth  W 

Whttt  hMbtec:*.  ^MkA  ih^ft^irtr  dwvim^  •  though  U  ilota  iir\  jno- 
;j)t.^.y  \wftftiess  this  chrti'fttltet-.  Tht^  tSh^bei*  is  ho»  siich  i^s  is  ttniiul  • 
iy  hiWhti  irt  swampS)  hi.t  Rtte  <»ftk)  ttMu  nlivip^  IHiiM»  lWech\  W»d  |Mrt\i 
Ittii  ol  feMOVmoiis  growth.  1  he  «oil « lich  Wutli  lw««i.  lu  thr  MU 
Si  i!  ttcttVty  tJiy  J  ti^i^  ix)ml  which  passes  ihitHigh^  hti^g  oiUy  ivAu!- 
tAy  ih  pArtltViVaV  s\^otsi  ^^^t  ^\ws\)^%  the  iiHisou  of  high  Wtttvr*  it 
is  e!it«m»^ty  t\iSA|^i^t6hi«  c\^>»sh^)|  tt.  the  hoi-se  sinks  Ht  cvvv) 
«^^Pi  I'd  the  belly  ift  svaiet-  wnti  iottse  soil ;  \M  \\\  plutes  tttlit  tly 
fetivet^yl^  the  t^tiVeUet^  h\\\  fov'  the  walks  oh  th^  ti-ees»  \v\m\\x\  he 
!V\  ^ai^g^t*  ol  l08iW|$  the  i-o«^  ttlio^fthei\  l^his  swnhip  is  sixty 
ii'.\ttis  ift  l^i^gih)  Ahil  lb\ii^  bv^)»icl>  widetmhtg  as  it  «!i|i|n-o«ches  the 
Jit.  t-VattciS.  tv\  the  sessoh  of  high  vVAtei^  the  Mississippi  hiwI  the 
Hvet-  jwst  wei^tlott'fcti,  have  a  complete  cownectiotii  by  metttts  ol 
lhi»  low  lat\tl. 

A'ftei*  cMssihg  the  swatttp,  \\\tn  cot\^m^hces>  a  M^t  <ot  high 
lA«rttl>  VtttiWittg  \W  the  sstY\e  cO\U^*»e»  atttl  ow  the  Mississippi^  hou«d» 
!ftg  whivl  is  tttlle'd  1^ WApeiy  hottottt i  this  liilge, i**,  rtppioachittg 
K^t  Si.  ¥V«txls  \vestWft\*<l>  swhsitleB.  \\\  jwsslng  ovev  it^  we  ap* 
jseAV  to  h^  its  (k  hilly  c*^\Vntiy>  possessing  springs  and  t^lvnlets i 
the  soiU  th'ftyigh  ^t^»:\Mlly  poor  and  ssndy^  Is  tolerably  well  tim* 
be^^d^  At\d  not  nltibgethev  tt»'>fti  fov  tllh^i 

Afte*'  l>ftssiftg  this  high  land,  *>/t  entet*  again  tl\e  level  plaltt. 
The  ttyad  cwsses  two  takes,  one  ol  which,  forw.  the  Ua^yott  8t» 
Yohft)  at  New  Madt^di  the  othet^  Is  i^onttccted  with  lakes  tt»  th« 
WestwiitHV  They  at^ft  fotw  ov  five  feet  deep,  and  voi-al  htmdi^d 
>*a<'ds  wide,  with  cleats  s-.tily  hottoftis.  These  lakes  a»>p  foimed 
fcy  the  vivtilets  of  the  wpiand  l>efot^  de.»ci  ibed  j  they  vise  ov  fall 
W  lft\l*.  Ott^iftg  th*^  ftkU  season,  tl«y  atxj  the  iTsoit  i>f  vast 
nxtwihers  of  wild  fowl,  attd  ave  fwU  of  tishv 

The  traX'ellet*,  aow  tit)m^  a  perfect  level,  alternately  piH^lrlei 
i(t4  ^<^^^\M  WfKxi-  ot  \^\\  oato ,  walntit,  mtilberry)  sas»al\'aB,  ho* 


f\m  OP  tttw  titttttrtttv.  kp  -^ttonit  if. 


m 


nifty  iHfcUHti  tJCinftfclly  «|ieii)  m  Itmupil*  tilmuftl  liy  nfu  tlnise  bf 
the  sht'Uhhy  kilul^  ni-t  «»«Uttll)r  oli  tirtfct*?  wl  (^HiUhtl* t»i»ttVl  r*'ot«  Ihtt 
gt'ttVi'S  ttf  Irtf j|ei»  tieftSi  They  ihh-  the  [t\\\\\\  Utp)  tHtMliWi  t1og-» 
^btttl*  splee  woml»  ant*  the  tllflVjfent  ftjifi U>9  nf  thi'  suiiimK »• 
The  |iirthle94  «!•  tmlMi^l  iitett^iOW««  nt e  t«vet*»*t1  Wiiu  f^ihss  utiH  il 
prtjl\J!ihJH  of  floweini  ttetdft  tif  «>httle,  of  t««  tn*  Ihiee  htnulietli 
*fe  seen*  Mirt  WtthtMhute  tti  the  plertnU^e  df  viewlii)*  theife  iitttMfal 
merttis  The  /l«,^  /ffitftf^,  thtou^h  whlth  the  )jul»Uc  rtiatl  iirthieii, 
Is  d  tlell^htMl  9p«t  I  h  is  tthttut  eight  miles  Irn^g*  hmiI  IbUi-  bi*«atl| 
etttlbsetl  by  \Vrto«ls,  atitl  Intei^siiei'sed  with  hrflinlfhl  gitivesi  i*e« 
lemhllng  small  Hlahtls.  U  Is  imt  sufpassetl  In  benttly  by  the  af* 
tlRclrtl  metuloW)  lmiivt>verl  with  the  gi'eatest  tarn.  h\  ttasshjg 
thtwugh  these  ^i^H^hhs  Ih  the  sjiflhg*  the  ♦i^avellei*  may  ^itJi*  uti» 
def  the  shatly  ti^ees,  by  the  I'tifttl  sUle,  aHtl  stifl^v  his  hurse  tri  ^etl» 
while  he  toasts  mi  stt^awbet'i-les  r»l  a  stn)eil«i*  si«e  ami  flavot*.«- 
A  immbei'  of  B;mul  faf tits  at'e  scattet'etl  lotiml  the  edges  of  the 
t«^iHe»  niul  a  few  wlthlm 

This  tlescH|«lott»  may  give  smtie  hlea  (»r  the  c«tmti*y  t<i  th» 
H.  W.  as  Fat'  as  the  Atkattsas.  t^Ktetit*  that  the  pi'alHrs  Are 
mm-e  ektetislvei  the  lakes  ami  the  Ittvmdatbiis  tuwai-ds  \h&  Mls^ 
slsnljiiil,  mm*e  emisldet'able«  atid  ev?M'y  thlttji  on  »  lut'gei'  s^^ale, 
\^\\t^  U  Is  e*tvcmely  difficult,  trt  give  a  fctti'i'eet  hoihm  td"  the  in* 
l^tt^i'aphy  ol  a  toutitry,  IVottt  bare  deiciiptlmt)  a  wtdl  eMei^uted 
\\\^[.  Wimht  be  hulls|)ehsably  neeessary. 

T!»e  sttll  wf  the  |it'ab'le.  Is  mtji'c  llgltt  and  hmse  thaw  In  thi 
vmndSi  ami  has  a  greater  mlittui'e  of  hhiuI  i  bm,  when  wett  It  as> 
swmes  every  whet'e^  a  deep  bUek  etdm'»  aiitl  ati  idly  ttpttearaoeet 
.Tuilghig  l>H»m  the  holders  of  the  lakes*  nml  the  wtdls  whUih  liave 
been  dug*  this  soil  tloes  not  seem  to  be  more  than  three  feet 
diep,  Uvj\  a(\er  digging  throtigb  a  stratum  of  sand,  there  ap- 
pewrs  a  kind  ol'  elay,  of  a  dirty  yellow,  and  ul'  ti  SH|H»na<^eons  ap- 
pearaneet  this  Is  the  substratum  of  the  whole  eoumi'y,  Hod  li 
perhaps  u  kmd  ol'  ipio  U',  the  drposlt  of  vc»  y  am.ent  alluvia.  No 
stunm  are  met  wltb  In  any  of  those  wells«  thai  I  have  heard  of. 

The  grcttteit  objeethtn  to  this  <  nvmiry  In  the  WROt  of  loun- 
taloB  ttud  ruohing  nt«eMms>  Wiurr  Is  procured  In  wolln  oi  the 
depth  oftwentyolWew  ml rly  huH)  bvit  the  ta«lo  Is  nm  «greeublOi 


106 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


owing  most  probably  to  their  being  lined  with  mulberry,  whic& 
soon  c  ;ays,  and  giveo  its  taste  to  the  water.  Mr.  Rawle,  near 
New  Madrid)  has  erected  a  mill  on  the  lakes,  on  a  new  construe' 
tion,  requiring  no  natural  full ;  the  wheel  runs  horizontally,  and 
entirely  under  water. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  Big  prairie,  as  we  advancr  to  the 
Mississippi,  the  soil  appears  to  be  stronger,  and  the  vegetation 
exceedingly  luxuriant.  Tfees  are  seen  of  the  most  towering 
height,  thick  underv.ood,  and  enormous  vines,  binding,  as  it 
were,  those  sturdy  giants,  to  the  earth,  and  to  each  other.  To 
clear  those  forests,  requires  an  immense  labor,  but  the  Am'er» 
lean  settlers,  usually  prefer  them,  from  the  superior  quality  of 
the  land.  The  creole,  un  the  contrary,  generally  makes  choice  of 
the  open  ground  or  prairie.  The  one,  whom  scarcely  any  con- 
sideration will  persuade  to  remain  long  in  the  same  place,  choos- 
es  a  soil  which  promises  to  last  for  ever,  while  the  other,  who  is 
seldom  induced  to  change,  sits  down  on  land  that  may  wear  out 
in  a  few  years. 

Notwithstanding  the  variety  of  beauties,  which  attract  the  at- 
^ention  of  the  traveller,  in  passing  through  these  Ic  v  lands,jret 
one  who  has  been  ?,cc^stomecl  «  to  the  pleasant  vicissitude  of 
hill  and  dale,"  becomes  at  length  we&ried  with  the  sameness  of 
the  scenery,  and  experiences  a  relief,  on  emerging  to  the  high 
land  at  Cape  Girardeau.  From  this  piece,  to  the  Missouri,  the 
country  may  be  called  hilly  and  broken,  but  with  excellent  flats, 
or  bottoms,  on  the  creeks  and  rivulets,  of  a  width  usually  pro- 
portioned to  the  size  of  the  stream.  The  river  hills  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, perhaps  from  five  to  ten  miles  out,  are  in  many  places 
far  from  being  prepossessing-  They  are  badly  watered,  have  many 
rugged  and  abrupt  acclivities;  and  considerable  precipices;  on  the 
river.  A  strange  appearance  is  also  given  by  the  number  of  iun- 
nels,  or  sink  hoks.fmmed  by  the  washing  of  the  earth  into  nssures 
of  the  limestone  rock,  on  which  the  country  reposes.  In  other 
places,  flint  knobs  ort  sent  themselves,  strewed  with  rude  mas- 
ses of  horn  stone,  and  afibrding  a  scanty  nourishment  to  a  few 
straggling  black  jacks,  or  groves  of  pine.  But  it  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  this  forms  the  greatest  prgportion  of  the  landsr 


FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  Jec.-BOOK  11. 


tor 


at  more  minute  description  of  particular  parts  will  prove  the 
contrary.  Even  in  these  places  there  is  abundance  of  fine  grasS) 
affording  excellent  pasturage. 

For  thirty  miles  above  Cape  Girardeau,  (with  the  exception 
6f  some  places  near  the  Mississippi)  and  extending  back  to  the 
St.  Francis,  there  is  a  country  not  unlike  that  around  the  head 
of  the  Ohio ;  though  not  quite  so  hilly.  The  timber  nearly  the 
same,  hickory,  oak,  ash,  walnut,  maple,  and  well  supplied  with 
springs  and  rivulets. 

North  of  Apple  creek,  there  is  a  tract  on  the  river,  of  very 
unpromising  aspect,  extending  to  the  Saline,  within  nine  miles 
of  St.  Genevieve.  It  is  scarcely  fit  for  tillage,  badly  watered, 
with  woods  of  a  poor  and  straggling  growth ;  but  to  make  amends 
in  some  degree,  for  the  sterility  of  the  upland,  there  is  a  fine 
bottom  (Bois  brul6)  terminating  just  b'jlow  the  Saline,  of  twen- 
ty miles  in  length,  and  on  an  average  three  in  width.  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Saline  creek  the  land  is  exceedingly  bro- 
ken and  hilly,  though  tolerably  well  timbered,  and  not  altogether 
unfit  for  cultivation.  On  the  d  Vase,*  there  are  many  fine  tracts, 
and  extensive  platts. 

From  St.  Genevieve  to  the  Maramek,  and  extending  back, 
the  same  description  will  apply,  except  that  the  country  is  more 
rough  and  broken,  but  generally  better  watered,  beinp;  travers- 
ed by  la  riviere  Habitation,  Big  river,  the  Mineral  Fork,  the  Pla-* 
tin,  and  the  Joachin.  In  some  places  the  country  is  exceeding- 
ly wild  and  romantic.  Ledges  of  limestone  rock  frequently 
shew  themselves  on  the  sides  of  hills,  forming  precipices  of 
twenty  or  thirty  feet  high,  and  have  much  the  appearance  of  re- 
gular and  artificial  wt.lls.  What  is  somewhat  singular,  they  are 
generally  near  the  top  of  the  kiUl,  which  gradually  slopes  down 
to  the  vale  of  some  rivulet :  a  vitw  of  great  extent  and  mai^ni- 
ficence  is  presented  to  the  eye ;  rocks,  woods,  distant  hills,  and 


'*  Apple  creek — ^the  Saline>and  the  A'  Vase,  are  considerable 
Btre&ms,  which  rise,  as  well  as  Big  river  (a  branch  of  the  Maramek)  and 
some  other  streams,  in  a  high  ridge,  about  fifty  miles  west  .^the  Mis- 
sissippi, which  separates  these  waters  from  those  of  the  St.  Francis. 


W9 


VIEWS  OP  LOUISIANA. 


a  sloping  lawn  of  many  miles  *  The  whole,  forming  prospectS) 
the  most  romantic  and  picturesque. 

North  of  the  Ivlaramek  there  are  fewer  rugged  hills ;  the 
land  is  waving.  Towards  the  river,  nearly  to  St.  Louis,  the 
country  is  not  well  watered,  it  is  also  thinly  timbered,  and  the  soil 
but  indifferent.  On  Grav6,  and  in  the  Bon  Homme  settlement, 
between  the  Maramek,  and  the  Missouri,  the  land  is  good,  and 
generally  well  adapted  to  cultivation.  Between  St.  Louis  and  the 
Missouri,  with  but  trifling  exceptions,  the  lands  are  of  a  supe* 
rior  quality ;  there  are  some  beautiful  spots,  as  the  village  of  Flo« 
rissant,  and  the  environs.  No  description  can  do  justice  to  the 
beauty  of  this  tract  The  Missouri  bottoms,  are  covered  with 
heavy  timber,  and  by  many  are  preferred  to  those  of  the  Missis* 
vippi  or  of  the  Ohio. 

The  tract  of  country  north  of  the  Missouri,  is  les'i  hilly* 
than  that  on  the  south,  but  there  is  a  much  greater  propor- 
tion of  prairie-  It  has  a  waving  surface,  varied  by  those'dividing 
ridges  of  streams,  which  in  K  ntucky,  are  called  knobs.  These 
prairies,  it  is  well  known,  are  caused  by  repeated  and  desolating 
^res,t  and  the  soil  is  extremely  fertile.    Such  woods  as  remain 

*  Near  col.  Hammond's  farm,  there  is  a  natural  curiosity  worth  no., 
ticin^.  A  hill,  commanding  a  most  extensive  prospect,  embracing  d, 
9cope  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  and  in  some  directions  more,  is  com*. 
|)letely  surrounded  by  a  precipice  of  the  sort  described.  It  is  called 
Bock  Fort,  and  might  answer  the  purpose  of  fortification ;  it  is  nearly 
two  hundred  feet  higher  than  any  of  the  surrounding  hill  a,  and  on  the  top 
there  is  a  level  space  often  acres,  overgrown  with  trees,  the  soil  is  good. 
The  Platin,  which  winds  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  and  whose  meandering 
course,  can  be  traced  by  the  sycamore  and  other  trees  peculiar  to  river 
1}ottoms,  render  the  prospect  still  more  agreeable.  The  fort  is  acces- 
sible only  by  two  narrow  passes  up  the  precipice  or  wall,  and  a  fine 
fountain  issues  out  from  the  rock. 

■\  The  plains  of  Indiana  and  Illinois  have  been  mostly  produced  by 
the  same  cause.  They  are  very  different  from  tlie  savannas  on  the 
pea  board,  and  the  iromens6  plains  of  the  Upper  Missouri.  In  the  prai- 
Ties  of  liidiiuia,  I  have  been  assured,  tk::t  the  woods  in  places  have  been 
known  to  recede,  and  in  others  to  increase,  wi'hin  the  recollection  of 
the  old  inhabitants.  In  moist  places,  the  woods  are  stiirstanding,  the 
$rt  meeting  here  with  obstruction.  Trees,  if  planted  in  these  prairies, 
would  doubtless  grow,  {n  the  isUndSt  preserved  by  accidental  causes, 


PACE  OP  THE  COUNTRY,  Sic.^BOOK  II. 


109 


are  fine«  but  the  quantity  of  adjoining  prairie  is  usually  too  great. 
There  are  large  tracts  however  admirably  suited  for  settlements: 
a  thousand  acres  or  more  ot  wood  land)  surrounded  by  as  mtich 
of  prairie.  It  is  generally  well  watered  with  fine  streams,  and 
also  interspersed  with  lakes.  There  is  an  extensive  strip  of  land 
along  this  side  of  the  Missouri,  of  nearly  thirty  miles  in  width 
and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  length)  altogether  woods,  and 
of  excellent  soil.  An  old  gentleman  who  has  seen  Kentucky  a 
wilderness)  informed  me,  that  the  appearance  of  this  tract  is  si- 
milar, with  the  exception  of  its  not  being  covered  with  cane,  and 
a  forest  so  dark  and  heavy.  The  "  Forks  of  the  Missouri,"  (such 
is  the  name  given  to  the  northern  angle,  formed  by  the  two  great 
rivers,)  daily  increases  in  reputation,  and  is  settling  faster  than 
any  part  of  the  territory. 

The  Missouri  bottoms,  alternately  appearing  on  one  side  or 
other  of  the  river,  are  of  the  finest  kind  for  three  hundred  miles 
up,  generally  covered  with  heavy  timber;  the  greatest  part  of 
which  is  cotton  wood  of  enormous  size.  -The  bottoms  are  usually 
about  two  miles  in  width,  and  entirely  free  from  inundation.  A.- 
bove  this,  in  many  places,  after  a  small  border  of  wood  on  the 
bank,  the  rest,  to  the  bills  or  bluffs,  is  entirely  bare.  The  bottoms 
of  the  Mississippi  are  equally  extensive  and  rich,  but  not  so  well 
vrooded.  They  are  in  fact  a  continued  succession  of  the  most 
beautiful  prairies  or  meadows.  The  tract  called  Lea  Mamellcs, 
from  the  circumstance  of  several  mounds,  bearing  the  appear- 
ance of  art,  projecting  from  the  bluff  some  distance  into  the  plain, 
muy  be  worth  describing  as  a  specimen.  It  is  about  three  miles 
from  St.  Charles;  I  visited  it  last  summer,  and  ascended  the 
mounds  to  have  a  better  view.  To  those  who  have  never  seen 
any  of  these  prairies,  it  is  very  diificult  to  convey  ary  just  idea 


■%■ 


the  progress  of  the  fire  can  be  traced ;  the  first  burning  would  only 
scorch  the  miter  bai'k  of  the  tree  j  this  would  render  it  more  suscep- 
tible  to  the  next,  and  the  third  would  completely  kill.  I  have  seen  in 
places,  at  present  completely  prairie,  pieces  of  burnt  trees,  proving 
thut  the  prairie  had  been  caused  by  fire.  The  grass  is  usually  very  luxu- 
riant, which  is  not  the  case  in  the  plains  of  the  Missouri.  There  may 
doubtless  be  spots  where  the  proportion  of  salts,  or  other  bqdies,  may 
be  such,  as  to  favor  the  growth  of  grass  only. 


110 


VIEWS  OP  LOmfillANA. 


/?- 


of  them.  Perhaps  the  comparison  to  the  smooth  green  esa^  if 
the  best.  Elevated  about  one  hundred  feet  above  the  plain,  I  had 
a  view  of  an  immense  extent.  Every  sense  was  delighted,  and 
every  faculty  awakened.  After  gazing  for  an  hour  1  still  con- 
tinued to  experience  an  unsatiated  delight,  in  contemplating  the 
rich  and  magnificent  scene.  To  the  right,  the  Missouri  is  con** 
ceuled  by  a  wood  of  no  great  width,  extending  to  the  Missis- 
sippi; the  distance  often  miles.  Before  me,  1  could  mark  the 
course  of  the  latter  river,  its  banks  without  even  a  fringe  of  wood ; 
on  the  other  side,  the  hills  of  the  Illinois,  faced  with  limestone,  in 
bold  masses  of  various  hues,  and  the  summits  crowned  with  trees: 
pursuing  these  hills  to  the  north,  we  see,  at  the  distance  of  twen- 
ty miles,  where  the  Illinois  separates  thtm,  in  his  course  to  the 
Mississippi.  To  the  left,  we  behold  the  ocean  of  prairie,  with 
islets  at  intervals.  The  whole  extent  perfectly  level,  cover- 
ed with  long  waving  grass,  and  at  every  moment  changing  co- 
lor, from  the  shadows  cast  by  the  passing  clouds.  In  some  pla- 
ces there  stands  a  sohi^Ary  tree  of  cotton  wood  or  walnut,  of  enor- 
mous size,  but,  from  the  distance,  diminished  to  a  shrub.  Fifty 
thousand  acres  of  the  finest  lanld,  arc  under  the  eye  at  once,  and 
yet  on  all  \^is  space,  there  is  but  one  little  cultivated  spot  to  be 


seen: 

When  the  eyes  are  gratified,  with  the  survey  of  this 
beautiful  scene,  the  mind  naturally  expatiates  on  the  improve- 
ments of  which  it  is  susceptible,  and  creative  fancy,  adorns  it, 
with  happy  dwellings  and  richly  cultivated  fields.  The  situation 
in  the  vicinity  of  these  great  rivers,  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  a  gar- 
den spot,  must  one  day  yield  nourishment  to  a  multitude  of  be- 
ings. The  bluffs  are  abundantly  supplied  with  the  purest  water ; 
those  rivulets,  and  rills,  which  at  present,  are  unable  to  reach 
the  great  father  of  waters,  and  lose  themselves  in  lakes  and  mar- 
shes, will  be  guided  by  the  hand  of  man  into  channels  fitted  fo^ 
their  reception^  and  for  his  pleasure  and  felicity. 


CUMATE  &  DISEASES—BOOK  R. 


Ill 


CHAPTBB  III. 


eLIMATB— DISEA8B9. 

WHAT  is  generally  remarked  respecting  the  climate  of 
the  U.  States,  is  particularly  applicable  to  this  territory ;  to  wity 
variablenessr  In  the  spring  and  winter,  during  the  continuance 
of  S.  W.  winds,  it  is  agreeably  warm;  but  by  the  change  of  the 
wind  to  N.  W.  the  most  sudden  alteration  of  weather  is  produ- 
ced. The  winters  of  St.  Louis  are  usually  more  mild  than  in  the 
same  latitudes  east  of  the  Allegany  mountains,  but  there  are  fre- 
quently several  days  in  succession  of  greater  cold  than  is  known 
even  in  Canada.  Last  January  (1811)  after  several  weeks  of  de- 
lightful weather,  when  the  heat  was  even  disagreeable,  the  ther- 
mometer standing  at  78°,  a  change  took  place,  and  so  sudden» 
that  in  4  days  it  fell  to  10**  below  0°.  This  winter  was  also  re- 
markable for  a  circumstance,  which  the  oldest  inhabitants  do  not 
recollect  to  have  ever  witnessed ;  the  Mississippi  closed  over 
twice,  whereas  it  most  usually  remains  open  during  winter. 

The  settlements  of  this  territory,  have  in  some  measure  ob- 
tained  the  character  of  being  unhealthy.  There  is  no  doubt,  but 
that,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  western  couarry,  which  have  not 
been  properly  put  under  cultivation,  autumnal  fevers  will  pre- 
vail. The  vicinity  of  the  lakes  has  not  been  remarked  as  more 
unhealthy  than  at  a  distance :  convenience  generally  induces  the 
settler  to  choose  this  situation.  It  is  a  prevailing  notion,  that  to 
be  sick  the  first  summer,  is  what  every  settler  must  expect. 
This  is  not  generally  true.  In  some  parts  of  the  territory,  the 
district  of  New  Madrid,  and  immediately  on  the  Mississippi,  this 
seasoning  is  severely  paid  :  but  in  other  parts  of  the  territory,  I 
can  say  with  confidence,  that  not  more  than  one  tenth  undergo 
it,  and  that  in  a  slight  degree.  From  the  first  of  August 
to  the  last  of  September,  is  considered  the  most  unhealthy. 
Much  depends  upon  the  care  which  the  settler  takes  in  avoi'l- 
ing  whatever  may  tend  to  produce  sickness.  The  scorching 
heat  of  the  sun  is  universally  agreed  to  be  unfavorable  to  health. 
Night  dews  and  exhalations  are  not  less  so.  The  food  of  most 
of  the  settlersi  is  calculated  to  generate  bile ;  great  quantities  of 


lis 


VIEWS  OP  LOUISIANA. 


fat  iK)rk,  seldom  any  fresh  meatt  or  vegetables,  and  larj^e  qu&n« 
titles  of  milk  und  coarse  corn  breud  are  used.  The  mepiiitic 
exhalations  from  putrid  vegetables,  and  from  enormous  musses 
of  putrifying  trees,  in  the  new  clearings,  also  contribute  to  this 
insalubrity.  The  fields  of  com,  with  which  the  settler  surrounds 
his  cabin,  are  thought  by  many,  to  be  another  cause ;  the  loliagC' 
of  the  corn  is  so  rich  and  massy,  that  it  shades  the  earth,  and 
prevents  the  action  of  the  sun  from  exhaling  unwholesome 
damps. 

The  last  season  was  uncommonly  unhealthy  throughout  the 
western  country,  and  this  territory  experienced  it  in  a  degree 
not  less  than  many  other  places.  The  natives,  and  the  oldest  in* 
habitants,  were  attacked,  as  well  as  strangers.  The  Missouri) 
vrhich  had  never  experienced  it,  did  not  escape.  This  season 
did  great  injury  to  the  commencing  emigration  to  this  country  i 
many  who  had  suffered,  retired  from  it,  and  others  who  had 
determined  to  come^  changed  their  minds. 


CHAFFEB  IV. 


POLITICAL  DrVISIONS— fNHABlTAKTS — SETTLEMENTS— 

POPUtATION. 

SHORTLY  after  the  taking  possession  of  this  territory^ 

it  was  divided  by  proclamation  of  governor  Harrison,  into  six 

districts: 

1   St.  CharleS)  4  Cape  Girardeau, 

3   St.  Louis,  5   New  Madrid, 

3  St.  Genevieve,  6  Arkansas. 

The  territorial  legislature  has  again  subdivided  these  districts 

into  townships.    The  term  "  district"  corresponds  with  the 

county  of  the  states. 

The  inhabitants  are  composed  of  whites,  Indians,  metiffs,  a 

few  civilized  Indians,  and  negro  slaves. 

The  whites,  consist  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  and  of  those 

who  have  settled  since  the  change  of  government.  The  former, 


i>OLITtCAL  DiVISIOKS,  8cc.-^00k  tt.  il.l 

ai'C  chiefly  of  French  origin ;  there  were  scarcely  more  thai! 
three  or  four  Spanish  families  in  this  province,  and  the  citizens 
t)f  the  United  St?.te!i,  although  advantageous  offers  were  held 
out  to  them,  rarely  settled  on  this  side  of  the  river.  The  French 
inhabitants  resided  ia  villages,  and  ciiltivaied  common  fields  ad- 
jacent tp  them;  in  the  manner  of  many  parts  of  Europe:  it  was 
here,  also,  rendered  in  sbme  degree  necessary  from  their  situ- 
ation. Thei*e  were  always  good  reasons  io  apprehend  the  attacks 
of  Indians ;  of  which,  on  some  occasions,  they  had  a  Jfatal  experi- 
ence. iThe  small  number  of  Americans  settled  here,  is  also  ow- 
ing to  the  tide  of  emigration  having  set  in  for  the  western  states. 
Keitucky,  Ohio  and  Tennessee,  wet  yet  unpeopled.  Besides) 
until  it  Was  transferred  to  the  United  States,  there  was  no  secu- 
Hty  against  the  dept'cdations  of  Indians. 

For  these  three  last  years,  the  settlements  have  been  increas- 
ing rapidly.  The  American  mode,  of  living  on  detached  farmSf 
has  been  adopted  by  a  niimbet  of  the  French  inhabitants  of  vil- 
lages, and  the  settlements,  m  larger  or  smaller  groups. 

The  frontier,  at  least  below  the  Missouri,  may  be  said  to  have 
retired,  sixty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  settlements 
on  the  rivers,  are  perfectly  safe  from  the  attacks  of  a  savage  ene- 
iny,  should  any  be  apprehended.  Within  the  last  two  years,  farms 
have  been  opened,  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Arkansas,  on  the 
Mississippi ;  and  oh  this  river,  above  the  Missouri,  they  extend) 
at  distant  intervals,  to  the  t'rairie  du  Chien.*  On  the  Missouri, 
they  extend  upwards  of  two  hundred  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  Near  Fort  Clark,  there  at*e  a  few  ihrms,  which  hate 
lately  been  opened. 

Next  to  th^  banks  of  the  navigable  rivers,  the  public  roads, 
form  the  greatest  indiicement  for  making  settletnetttS.  There 
are  consequently  establishments  on  nearly  all  the  roads  whicjh 
traverse  the  territory ;  seldom  at  a  greater  distance  than  five  or 
six  miles  from  each  others 


^  In  case  bf  Indian  war,  these  remote  and  feeble  settleiiients  will 
have  to  be  broken  up.  But  there  is  very  littk:  to  be  apprehended  from 
incursions  into!  the  mOre  populous  parts  of  the  territory  south  of  th« 
Missouri.    This  is  as  secure  as  the  interior  of  Kentticky. 


lli 


VIEWS  QJF  LOUISIANA. 


An  cnumcrauon  of  the  principal  i^tUcment^  \vilij;totb,e  un- 
intcrcsiing-:-!  sliall  therefore  begin  wiUt  t^tose  o|^  the  district  of 
_^t.  jLouiji.  TJt^at  of  Bon  Iloomie  is  a^ong^t  the  niost  not^dr— 
|t  is  op  a.c^'eek  of  thu;t  t)an\e.ahoi^t  fifteen  miles  from  St.  Louis: 
%t  th^i  I^AC*;,  the  Mur^mck  and  Missouricpinc  >jv^.lhin  eight  miles 
of  each  other,  ^he  land  ib  said  to  be  j^ood,  and  there  are  ^n  this 
8€ttlci^c/)t  spnpe  very  respectable  farmers.  Lp  riviere  des 
F,cres,  ar^d  p  branch  of  it)  culled  Qrav6,  arc  ^Iso  tqleri^bly  well  in- 
l^abited^  fr9m  its  vicinity  to  Bon  Hqinmey  it  in^y  l^e  considered 
a  part  .of  the  safi)e  ^ettjeinent.  La  rivere  des  Perc^,  b  a  hand> 
so:nc  stream  \yhich  enters  tlic  Mississippi  l^etweet)  St.  Louis 
atid  the  M^r^ck.  On  the  Missourij  frx^m  t^e  jiuiction  to  the 
mouth  of  Bon  Ii9mnic,  there  is  a  cpii^ioued  and  e;ccel.lent  set- 
tlement.  Immediately  on  ti^e  Maramekthc  lopd  ii^  broken,  but 
vrell  adapted  to  the  culture  of  grain  :  the  river  bottoms,  I  have 
blrea<Jy  observed,  are  of  sniuU  extent,  and  but  fcvv  farms  h^ive  yet 
IjieeQ  opened,  ^ctv.een  tlic  Maramek  an  J  the  Platen,  there  are 
a  considerable  nuii>ber  of  scattered  settlers  ;  ijijid  in  tlie  neigh- 
bourh994  of  jthe  Joachin,  i^umerous  ^nd  extensive  improve- 
ments. 

In  the  district  of  St.  Gcncyi&ve^  the  principal  compact  settle- 
ments are  on  Bi^  ^y^h  >yhic)  passes  tl^rough  t^ie  tna^t  of  lead 
m^nes :  the  lari^est,  t,hiit  of  Belle  Vue,  is  aboyt  fifty  mile:^  west 
qf  the  town  of  St.  G|:/)^vieve.  There  is  aUp  a  sfsttlement  on  the 
§t.  Frqpcis,  witjbin  this  djif tricty  per)iaps  not  inferior  to  any.  In 
^the  neighbourhood  of  the  mines,  there  ^re  usually  a  number  of 
farnjs.  On  la  riviere  ^abhatbn,  the  k  Vase,  911. th^  Saline,  and 
on  Apple  creek,  there  arc  a  number  of  small  settlements,  and 
all  over  the  district  there  ^re  scattered  farms.  Bois  brule  bot- 
tom^  has  also  a  i\umber  of  ^ood  plantations. 

Cape  Girardeau,  cpntains  some  of  the  best  settlements  in  the 
tcrritprv.  Burd*s  is  the  principal ;  it  is  a  icyr  miles  from  the 
Mississippi,  on  excellent  land ;  the  improvements  extensive.— 
There  is  also  a  large  settlement  of  Germans,  about  thirty  miles 
west  of  the  town.  They  live  well,  and  are  becoming  easy  in  their 
circumstances :  there  are  also  a  nun)ber  of  good  farms  in  Ty- 
w^pety  bpttom.  In  general,  the  settleroepts  are  much  scatter- 
ed in  this  district. 


POLITICAL  DIVWibNH,  &c.-iB'OOK  U. 


Hi 


In  the  district  of  St.  Chatles,  the  settlcnSents  ar^  also' Consi- 
derable. They  extend  up  the  Missouri,  nearly  tWo  Inmdrcd 
ifriles.  Thoii^fh  between  tWe  more  cohiiideruble  t^^roups,  the  phin- 
tatibns  are  thUiiy  scattered.  Chan-ette,  is  the  next  village  after 
St.  Churlcs,  about  fifty  mile!^  abdve  ;  it ikcompt^sed  of  ten  or' 
twrclvfe  f  i*ertth  famlK^s,  who  live  close  together,  after  tliic  ancient 
custom.  There  are  about  forty  families  on  ^It  riVerj  abovib  thif, 
who  live  in  the  American  mode.  At  the' Cotter  island,  there  isa^ 
settl«Jment,  larg^e  enough  to  affbrd  a  cotiipany  of  niiliti^.-  Bclbvr' 
the  Osage  rivek*,  but  withih  sig;1^t,  <)h  the  opposite  sldb  of  the 
iVlissouri,  there  is  a  Frtnch'  villbj^e  of ubbtif  tw^enty  forfiilies  ;  it' 
is  called  Cdte  sans'  Dessbin.  But  (ar'tfife  btJsf^etttie'm'eiit  6H  thij^ 
Missouri,  is  that  near  the  Nfine  riViiir,  tih  tliW  Sf.  E  sldiofth'e^ 
river,  and  extendi'nfe  abtmVsii  mlteS  aWrife  the  bank.  There  ar^' 
here  about  eighty  famititSs;  S6t*»6  engagcd'iti  *wi6ndng  salthbson 
the  river  bteforfe  ni<Jhtioned.  SfcVttthl  bf  Aert' HaVfe  sikvek;  they 
will  be  cti»it)leieiy  ablb  to  defend  th^hisblv^hag^histBtiy  Indian'^ 
that  may  be  dVdadtid  in"  thl«  qU^rtif .  t H^i'e  nt'&  sbhie  gobd'  sdt-' 
tlememson  tHtt  riVi«W  de  CulVhe*,  near  the  nittvitTi';  buV  tfibfai^' 
muth  scattered  in  thdfdt-ktof  tHe' MfeA)Uti.  A* rtkn  WH6 \««i 
up  thi'ough  that  cotintlryiliirtfsumiA^i^,  for  the  pUhptisii  <Jf  lodk- 
ing&tthb  Iknd,  tdld  nfe;  that'UblButtd'fiVe  fatiiili^S'n^^i'tl^e  hekdii' 
of  the  CulVre ;  dkty  bf  sevdhty  ihllesdisibnt  fi'dih'imyiothdiJ  adt*-' 
tlement:  he  happened  on  this  group  when  lie'  Hijd  nbtthb  m'olitf 
distant  ekj^ectiltion  of  meetihg  >^ith  iitiy  dile.  Incase  bf  Iridian 
war,  these  poot  sti^gglei's  will' nibsTpi^ibiibly  life  butchfefred,uH-' 
less' fortunate  eiibd^h  to  e^cat)i^'ihto'th(;'set*t!eni'eHtb.'' 

Thb'disttritJt  of  New  Madrid' is  but  thinly  irihitbJti}a,'eohslder- 
ing  the  greW'prtiprirtitiii'of Bhblsftld;  wHiWit  coilirfih«.  Thei^ 
are soihe^obdfiifiu^in the hei^hbouMibdd'bf th^ Villk^^i  There 
are'also  sdttib  settlemettts  on  the  S^t.  l^ranbisi  oii  tlltf  Tiartks  of  tlib 
Miiisissi|Jtiii  attd'thi^ugh  the  ptt^iries  tb^^'drdk  tafm  Oii^i^deau  r 
particularly  on  the  public  road.  I  travelled  bv^fit'-wflfenlt  Waaf 
a  Wilderness ;  the  contrast  even  now,  is  pleasing:  some  one  who 
passes  here  at  a  future  day,  will  fihdr'stUl  gi^atWtaUatJ  of  won- 


41^  VIBW8  OP  L0UT8UNA. 

der.  Little  Prairie,  thirty  milei  below  New  Madrid,  on  the  rlv^ 
^r,  ia  M  cuutiderable  aettlement.* 

The  aettlemeptaof  the  Arkansas,  are  principally  in  the  neighs 
bourhood  of  the  Arkansas  Post,  or  extend  up  the  river,  and  are 
the  least  considerable  of  the  territory. 

There  ^re  besides,  a  number  of  snoall  groups  through  the 
"VVhite  river  country }  but  so  bcattcred  and  remote,  that  it  is  dif- 
^cult  to  obtain  any  informatiqn  respecting  them.  A  number  of 
families  in  the  course  of  the  present  yet^r,  have  removed  to 
Spi'ing  river,  and  bthers  are  preparing  for  it.  Several  families 
■who  arrived  at  St.  Genevieve  from  the  District  of  Maine,  have 
l^ctualh'  set  out  for  the  Sftme  place.  A  village  has  been  com- 
menced at  the  mouth  of  Spring  river,  and  consists  already  of 
^  store,  tavern,  8cc.  There  ^eems  to  prevail  a  rage  amongst  the 
frpntiers-meni  for  emigration  to  that  quarter. 

The  emigrants  to  this  territory,  arc  chiefly  from  North  C^* 
Tolina,  and  Kentucky  ;  of  late,  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvani^ 
contributes  considerably  to  its  population.  The  excellence  and 
cheapness  of  the  jands,  besides  the  permission  of  holding  slaves, 
^ill  cause  this  territory  to  be  preferred  by  emigrants  from  the 
southern  states,  to  any  part  of  the  western  pountry,  unless  it  be 
on  the  Ipwer  parts  of  ^he  Missishippi,  whose  unhealthy  climate, 
indcpendant  of  the  high  price  of  lands,  wiU  counterbalance  ma- 
ny other  advantage9. 

It  is  perhaps  good  policy  in  our  gqyerninent,  circumstances 
considered,  to  thicken  the  frontier,  and  to  suffer  the  intermedi- 
ate space  to  .fill  lip  gradually.  But  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  hol4 
put  indi)cements  for  this  purpose;  it  has  already  taken  a  start, 
"which  it  \|riU  be  {^Imost  impossible  to  arrest.  The  uncertainty  in  9 
greatnumber  of  the  land  titlci;^  particularly  of  the  large  claimants, 
presents  an  obstacle  to  the  torrent  of  emigration ;  h\it  I  should 
pot  be  surprised,  if  in  five  years,  this  territory  should  contain 
sixty  thousand  spuls.t 


*  At  prefient  entirely  tpder  water,  by  the  earthquake. 

f  A  cpihblnation  of  the  most  unexpected  events  have  contributed 
in  pheckingf  this  emigration  i  the  uncotnmon  uahcaithiness  uf  the  last 
Reason,  the  dread  of  Indian  war,  and  the  tarthqmke. 


POLITIQAL  DIV16I0NS,  &e.—BOOK  II. 


Uf 


.  The  munners  of  the  first  lettlert,  are  not  such  m  writers 
UiiUAlly  represent  them.  A  principal  cause  of  their  removal  to 
thu  frontier*  is  the  want  uf  wild  pasturage,  or  range^  as  it  is  call" 
(d,  for  their  cattle;  and  those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  the 
greater  ease  und  frcedon>  of  this  half  shepherd  life,  naturally 
desire  a  continuance.  These  people,  advancing  westward)  into 
the  vast  ph>ins  which  do  not  admit  of  compact  settlementSi  may 
come  still  nearer  to  tlie  pastoral  state.  The  remote  settlecsy 
contrary  to  what  would  be  supposed,  from  their  situation,  are 
not  only  shrewd  and  intelligent,  but  also  far  from  illiterate.—- 
The  most  trifling  settlement,  will  contrive  to  have  a  school  maS" 
ter,  who  can  teach  reading,  writing,  and  some  arithmetic.  Ve- 
ry diflerent  from  the  good  nutured,  but  unenterprising  creole> 
who  does  not  know  a  letter  of  the  alphabet.  A  lady,  who  had 
resided  with  her  husband  two  years  at  fort  Osage,  three  hun- 
dred miles  up  the  Missouri,  told  me,  that  descending  the  river) 
on  her  return  from  that  place,  she  observed  on  the  very  spot) 
where,  on  ascending  she  had  seen  a  herd  of  deer,  several  chiN 
dren  with  books  in  their  hands,  returning  from  school !  The 
settlement  had  been  formed,  while  she  was  at  the  fort. 

The  frontier  is  certainly  the  refuge  of  many  worthless  and 
abandoned  characters,  but  it  is  also  the  choice  of  many  of  tho 
noblest  souls.  It  seems  wisely  ordered,  that  in  the  part  which  is 
weakest,  where  the  force  of  laws  is  scarcely  felt,  there  should  be 
found  the  greatest  sum  of  real  courage)  and  of  disinterested  vir- 
tue. Few  young  men  who  have  emigrated  to  the  frontier,  arc 
without  merit.  From  the  firm  conviction,  of  its  future  import- 
ance, generous  itnd  enterprising  youth,  the  virtuous  unfortu- 
nate, and  those  of  moderate  patrimony,  repair  to  it,  that  they  may 
grow  up  with  the  country,  and  form  establishments  for  them- 
selves and  families.  Hence  in  this  territory,  there  are  many  ster- 
ling characters.  Amongst  others,  I  mention  with  pleasure,  that 
brave  and  adventurous  North  Carolinian,  who  makes  sL  distin- 
guished a  figure,  in  the  history  of  Kentucky,  the  venerable  col. 
Boon.  This  respectable  old  man,  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of  his 
age,  resides  on  Salt  river,  up  the  Missouri,  at  the  settlement  I 
have  bvfore  mentioned.  He  is  surrounded  by  about  forty  fami- 
lies)  WHO  respect  him  as  a  father,  and  who  live  under  a  kipd  pf 


^ 


/ 


n* 


¥WVy«  01^  I.OV»tAtrA. 


r* 


Aiv  nut  nceeiMttoui  pf rMmtHi  whd  t^AVf  fl^d  (bt*  theli*  eftmei  bf 

Aduttititt  I  \^¥y  All  llv«  w«H,  (inti  tMi(«i(^»>t  th«  ti««(imMiH«i  untl 

«^H)'.i«.  l^tht^ptti  thi^y  ti'vi«tt  wttt«iy  In  ttlti«)tH9  themM@l¥«N  tit  ti 
ttiii(An(^>^  fbuiii  lh«  deMtt  iiutl'uii^Mt«n««  of  tK«  woHHi  Tlit»y  en* 
\tif  m  \\t[{\mm\^mh[MWi\  tthtt  (ii*«iii  tomtbvt  in  ih«lip  iintb  Noei' 
«ty)  t)«ynhH  the  (i()h%i««  t^f  thnt  Ibh^i*  untttety,  wh«ve  tit<>¥«ram«nt 
li h«f t'i'liify t  wli(>i*i>( wHIimit walli of Mttdvnttnti ttntlb^nHi of iHMti 
ttit!  .^Mii^A  /V^Hi^,  tti"  the  MSimttf  D¥*^itmm\  wmtM  tmmplti 
iHrtv  ti»>ev«rlty«  (h«tt«  Htiti|iln«{iiiiitntt  tht*iv  deitrtsit  |)«m««8Ioiik  um* 
il^f  l\>»t  H«r«  they  ai*e  truly  fi*^^ )  «H«mpt  tvotn  thte  y«xln|(  tta* 
lt6«  to>'*i  •Kt^'risUlbhRi  «vt«n  of  th«  hent  of  guviPiitmemn )  they  attt 
,  nt>Uh«(*  tiiiii(tll«tt  by  the  rttuHheih  of  AtttbUioui  mf  tbHMt'«tl  by  tho 
poUon  of  pMrty  Mi^lHt.  U  out  thlni  tms  of  the  inom  ttower(\il  ln>« 
ientiveHi  whbh  lHt^t>|i  the  ^mntltHMg'  ^Hfl»o^M(>WhtM)>to  buty 
hlwielf  In  the  ttildiit  of  the  wllderneiiii  f 

the  (bllowint;  U  nn  nbtitiniGt  of  the  t^t>^ltitlon  of  ibo  teirU 
I0171  ae^tot^lbg  to  the  \mx  tetiHtivt 

Bt.  Chht'hM  I  I 

St.  Louli    .  ;  • 

^.  Qehevleve  . 

Cape  CIti'tinleAU 

New  Mtitlt'ltl   . 

Hopel'leltlT 

8t*  PfuneU  C  ' 


4,690 
3.ei}B 
d^lOD 


t  I  I  I   k  I 


tea 


!ii.ii4ai 

Allow  foi*  the  ttnopit  At  the  military  poAta 
to  thU  territory       >       •  «    100 

Hunting  ehd  irittlhtg  pArtleK  up  the  MU> 
ftout'l  antl  Ntlftslsulppl        *        4        •    300 

Famlllei  settled  itt  remote  plmeeii  tmd  not 
fbund  by  the  iherllf  .       1       .    300 


Of  these,  1.0 1 1  ere  ftlevei  \  the  number  of  cWIIUcd  tudieni 
•nd  of  itietlflli)  not  knowhi  but  cttouot  be  eonildert\ble. 


"^owNi  Ik  vDUt4ue»  *-t}uyu  It 


ut» 


CUAP^Ifilt  V. 


YOWm  AMU  trItLAOil. 

AMONtlHT  the  Amprictinii,  te^xj  anwrnl'lM^**  of  htiM««»» 
m  fnmtv  uf  how  fimttU  m  mittiht*^  in  ^ctmmlhrtteil  a  t9WHi  in 
thii  tdUhtrjr  cvei'y  itUte  «M«e|n  New  OHenhst  hbw«\rer  «ou»lt}> 
pt»^W^  9V  i>Ht«n!iiv«,  is  ijiitted  n  %itttig«^  T(<is  i(i  fi{(ht  in  Hoih 
tiiiii'iii  ihe  tivcu|iAtioh  oil  <ritittg««,  k  tt»'Uitipttiir*  ih^  i'.yiti¥«titMi 
t»r  tii«  BOli.  lu  Utc  dirtietit  tho»e  who  tbilow  the  |»toughi  ar«  ^^ettt* 
iefert  over  the  t eiuury  i  wliile  the  tiieth«hlt»,  noti  ret  tilert  of 
itterthnHdUe*  guiher  io  «  fclusier.  Meoce  '^hc  tllft\'rehci*  |o  tb« 
tit^t^etiitiHce  of  the  towtt^i  or  vitl^ges  of  this  routitrf « fi'om  thtt!i« 
of  the  Mtnteii.  Atthovigh  there  is  something  like  re^ttlHriiy  of 
streets*  ittiti  the  houses  tire  huitt  in  front  of  thenit  ihtif  tto  not 
Atijoihi  wttite  the  g^r«<ens«  oi^htiritsf  und  stables,  oeeu)t)r  «  rdn> 
slderable  extent  'ijt  ^rt)Uhd.  t^iach  house  with  Its  aitpurtenuneet) 
has  the  at^t^eaianee  of  one  nf  our  farin)rartls>  All  litntis  of  tit 
H@t  tmn^  hogi)  shee)tt  mingle  with  the  passengers,  in  the 
streets.  These  tenements  are  generiilt)r  ei^tlo'^ed  ^rith  cetlitf 
|titkets,  )itatett  tn  the  manner  of  stMtkadcs,  ami  sometimes  with 
stone  walls.  The  houses  are  hullt  In  ii  verjr  singular  furtfii 
at^tt  It  is  salu,  eo|iletl  atler  the  fashion  of  the  West  Indies.  The^f 
ito  not  e)(teed  one  story  tn  helt^ht,  and  *hose  of  the  ntore  weA^>« 
thy  are  surrounded  with  s|^iioMi  galleries i  some  only  on  ont 
or  two  sides,  wtdle  the  poorer  elass  are  obliged  to  put  tip  with 
naked  walls,  and' a  pimr  haldtatlon.  These  galleiies  ure  eit« 
tremely  useful )  they  render  the  house  »**hiI  iijt>d  agreeable  tit 
svunmer)  and  ufford  ti  pleasant  promenadD  in  Uie  heat  of  tht 
day. 

tn  building  their  houses,  the  logs,  instead  of  being  Mid  horU 
ttontrtlly,  as  ours,  are  pUced  In  u  pcrpentiteular  po'dtiout  the  i»« 
terstiees  closed  wl(h  earth  or  itone,  as  w)th  us.  This  cm*\k» 
tutes  a  more  tlurahic  dwelling,  and  It  retains  its  shape  ntuch 
longer.  The  itiof  Is  eittrenuly  btttad,  estcndln^  out  with  a 
gradual  slope,  iV>r  the  piupose  of  an\>hll(tg  a  covering  to  th« 
gallery.  Wittdn  these  two  years,  somo  alieiation  U  pirt:«  p(ihl« 
in  the  general  lippcariince  if  the  villages,  tVum  the  immductivn 


1^ 


VIEWS  OP  LOtnSlAlf  A. 


/ 


of  a  new  mode  of  building  by  the  Americansi  of  frame,  stonCj 
or  brick,  and  in  the  use  of  what  was  before  unknown,  signs  and 
boards,  to  indicate  the  residence  of  persons  following  different 
trades  or  occupations:  although  a  trifling  circumstance,  it  is  a 
characteristic.  ■ 

In  none  of  the  villages  or  towns  is  there  a  market  house ; 
the  reason  I  have  already  mentioned,  the  inhabitants  raised  their 
own  provbions,  and  were  all  cultivators  of  the  soil. 

ST*  LOUIS 

Is  the  seat  of  government  of  the  territory,  and  has  always 
been  considered  the  principal  town.  It  was  formerly  called  Pain 
Court,  from  the  privations  of  the  first  settlers.*  It  is  situated  in 
latitude  38°  23'  N.  long.  SQ®  36'  W. 

This  place  occupies  one  of  the  best  situations  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, both  as  to  site  and  geographical  position.  In  this  lust  res- 
pect, the  confluence  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  has  certainly, 
much  greater  natural  advantages,  but  the  ground  is  subject  to 
inundation,  and  St.  Louis  has  taken  a  start,  which  it  will  most 
probably  retain.  It  is  perhaps  not  saying  too  much,  that  it  bids 
fair  to  be  second  to  New  Orleans  in  importance,  on  this  river. 

The  ground  on  which  St.  Louis  stands  is  not  much  higher 
than  the  ordinary  banks,  but  the  floods  are  repelled  by  a  bold 
shore  of  limestone  rocks.  The  town  is  built  between  the  river 
and  a  second  bank,  three  streets  running  parallel  with  the  riv- 
er, and  a  numb«r  of  others  crossing  these  at  right  angles.  It  is  to 
be  lamented  that  no  space  has  been  lefi  between  the  town  and  the 
river;  for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure  of  the  promenade,  as  well  as  for 
business  and  health,  there  should  have  been  no  encroachment  on 
the  mal'gih  of  the  noble  stream.  The  pHncipal  place  of  business 
ought  to  have  been  on  the  bank.  From  the  opposite  side,  no- 
thing is  visible  of  the  busy  bustle  of  a  populous  town ;  it  appears, 
closed  up.  The  site  of  St.  Louis  is  not  unlike  that  of  CinciiinacL . 
How  different  would  have  been  its  appearance,  if  built  in  the 

•  judging  from  many  of  the  names  of  villages,  one  might  tuppose 
that  they  had  not  been  settled  under  the  most  happy  auspices}  there  are 
/Miiete,  Creve-coeur,  and  Yuidepochbf 


.^- 


TOWNS  &  TILLAGES.— BOOK  It. 


m 


Itame  elegant  manner :  its  bosam  opened  to  the  breeses  of  thft 
river,  the  stream  gladdened  by  the  enlivening  scene  of  business 
and  pleasure^  compact  rows  of  elegant  and  tasteful  dwellings, 
looking  with  pride  on  the  broad  wave  that  passes ! 

From  the  opposite  bank,  St.  Louis,  notwithstanding,  appears 
io  great  arivantage.  In  a  disjoined  and  scattered  manner  it  ex- 
pends along  the  river  a  mile  and  an  half,  and  we  form  the  idea  of 
a  large  and  elegant  town.  Two  or  three  large  and  costly  buildr 
Ings  (though  not  in  the  modern  taste)  contribute  in  producing 
this  effect.  On  closer  examination,  the  town  .seems  to  be  com- 
posed of  an  equal  proportion  of  stone  walls,  houses,  and  fruit 
trees :  but  the  illus^n  still  continues. 

On  ascending  the  second  bank,  which  is  about  forty  leet  above 
the  level  of  the  plain,  we  have  the  town  below  us,  and  a  view  of 
the  Mississippi  in  each  direction,  and  of  the  fine  country  through 
which  it  passes.  When  the  curtain  of  wood  which  conceals  the 
American  bottom  shall  have  been  withdrawn.  Or  a  vista  formed 
by  opening  farms  to  the  river,  there  will  be  a  delightful  pros- 
pect into  that  rich  and  elegant  tract.  The  bottom  at  this  place 
is  not  less  than  eight  miles  wide,  and  finely  diversified  with  pr^- 
rie  and  woodland. 

Ther^  is  a  line  of  works  on  this  second  bank,  erected  for  de- 
fence against  the  Indians,  consisting  of  se-.  :;ral  circular  towersj 
twenty  feet  in  diameter,  and  fifteen  in  height,  >>  small  stockaded 
fort,  and  a  stone  breast  work.  These  are  at  present  entirely  un- 
occupied and  waste,  excepting  the  fort,  in  one  of  the  buildings  of 
which,  the  courts  are  held,  while  another  is  used  as  a  prison.—* 
Some  distance  from  the  termination  of  this  line,  ^p  the  river, 
there  are  a  number  of  Indian  mounds,  and  remains  of  antiquity  j 
which,  while  they  are  ornamental  to  the  town,  prove,  that  in  for- 
mer times,  those  places  had  also  been  chosen  as  the  site,  per- 
haps, of  a  populous  city. 

Looking  to  the  west,  a  most  cliatiuing  country  spreads  ^tself 
before  us.  It  is  neither  very  level  nor  hiliyi  but  of  an  agreeable 
Ivaving  surface,  and  rising  for  several  miles  with  an  ascent  al- 
most imperceptible.  Except  a  small  belt  to  tlie  north,  there 
ate  no  trees  ;  the  rest  is  covered  with  shrubby  oak,  internjixed 


m 


VIEWS  OF  LOTJISIANA. 


Mirith  lta2els,  and  a  (bw  trifling  thickets,  of  thorn,  crab  apple,  frr 
plum  treei.  At  tlie  first  glance  we  are  reminded  of  the  environs 
of  a  great  city ;  but  there  ate  no  country  scats,  or' even  plain 
farm  houses :  it  is  a  vast  wuste,  yet  by  no  means  a  barren  scal.-^ 
Such  is  the  appearance^  until  turning  to  the  left,  the  eye  again 
catches  the  Mississippi.  A  number  bf  fine  springs  take  their 
risk  here,  and  contribute  to  the  itnaven  appearance.  The  greats 
er  pai't  iull  tb  the  S.  W.  and  aid  in  forming  a  beautiful  rivulet, 
which  a  short  distance  below  the  town  gives  itself  to  the  riv- 
er. I  have  been  often  delighted  in  my  sblitafy  Walks,  to  trace 
ibis  rivulet  to  its  sources.  Three  miles  from  town,  but  within 
view,  amongst  a  few  tall  Oiiks,  it  rises  in  foiif  or  five  silver  foun* 
tdiiiS,  ivithih  short  distances  of  each  other:  presenting  a  picture 
tb  the  fancy  of  the  poet,  or  the  pencil  of  the  painter.  I  have  fan* 
i  tied  fiiiyself  for  a  moment  on  classic  ground,  and  beheld  tho 
Naiads  pbutihg  the  stre'am  from  their  uitis. 

Close  to  the  to\<rn,  there  i^  a  fine  mill  erected  by  Mr.  Cho«  . 
tiei^u,6hthU  streamlet;  the  d^m  forms  a  bsautiful  sheet  of  water, 
atid  ^fiBdt*ds  much  amus^imeht  iu  fishing  and  fdwling,  to  the  peo- 
^le  of  the  town. 

The  common  fi>eld  of  St.  Louis  was  forme?ly  enclosed  oa 
this  bank,  ccitoistihg  of  seVeral  thousand  acres ;  at  preient  there 
are  hot  tnore  than  two  hundred  under  cultivation  )*  the  rest  of 
tho  grolkndl  looks  like  the  i^orh  cotnmcMi,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  b  !&rg&  iown ;  the  grass  kept  down  and  short,  and  the  loose 
sbil  in  several  places  cut  open  ih'to  gaping  ravines. 

St.  Louis  Was  first  established  in  the  spring  of  1/64.  It  was 
^'riWcipKaliy  tettled  by  tlit  itttiabitants  who  abandoned  tho  village 
<bf  FoVt  Chalrtres,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi.  The  colo- 
ny fiotfrished,  and  became  the  parent  of  a  number  of  little  viN 
lagfe»  on  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri ;  Carondelet,  St.  Charles, 
Poru^e  des  Sioux,  St.  Johns,  Bon  If  omnie,  St.  Ferdinand,  tec. 

From  that  abominable  practice,  of  urging  the  MHthern  Indi- 
ans ag^hst  the  seHlers,  this  place  suffered  an  attack  which  still 
exciics  bitter  recollection's.  In  t/7&,  a  combination  of  the  In- 
dian tribes,  prompted  by  the  English,  attempted  a  general  inva- 

*  From  the  Adoencan  tBodc  gffMmmtj  hating  beea  adopted.- 


tOWNS  &  TULAGES.^BOQK  II. 


m 


^pti  of  the  Frencn  villages  on  both  sides  of  the  river«  and  gccord- 
i)igly  descended  in  cotisiderable  force,  but  were  checked  by 
^en.  Clark,  who  comtnundcd  the  American  troops  on  the  other 
side.  An  attack  was,  however,  made  upon  a  smalt  settlement, 
commenced  within  a  few  miles  of  the  town,  and  the  inhabitants 
vere  nearly  all  butchered :  others,  who  happened  to  be  out  of  St< 
Louis,  were  killed  or  pursued  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
town.  It  is  said  that  upwards  ,of  c^.ighty  persons  fell  victims  to 
their  Xurf.  Happily,  this  will  be  the  last  time  th«it  St.  Louis  v'lW 
ever  have  amy  thing  to  dread  from  the'  Indians ;  the  frontier  has 
extended  so  iar  north  and  west,  that  &  complete  barrier  is  form<* 
cd  agsdnst  future  juicursions.  T,hey  may  come  here  in  peace, 
and  tor  the.ipyrpose  of  trade,  hut  it  will  he  far  hence  tli^t  they 
will  dare  to  raise  tlie  tomahawk. 

St.  Jjouh  contains  according  to  the  last  census  1,400  inhaVi- 
taints.  One  fifth  Americans,  and  about  400  people  of  color. 
Tliere  are  a  few  Indians  and  metifis,  ip  the  capacity  of  jervants, 
or  wiycs  to  boatmen.  This  town  was  at  no  time  so  4griciiiltursl 
as  the  other  villages ;  being  a  place  qft^ometrfKie,  the  chief  town 
of  the  provi;ice,  an^.the  residence  of  ^  i^qmber  of  inechanicA,- 
It  remained  nearly  stationary  .for  two  ,or  three  years  after  the. 
cesstton;  l)ut  it  is  now  begjiipipg  to  take  a  start,  and  its  re- 
putation is  growing  abroad.  Every  house  is  crowded,  rents  ^re . 
high,  and  it  is  ex<;eedingly  difficult, to  procure  a  tenement  on  ^ny 
ternis.  Six  or  ^even  rhQU^es  were  built-in  the  course  of  last  sea^ 
soDjan^  prot^ablyt^Wice^henjamlj^r  willhe  built  the  next.  There 
is  a{>rinting  office^, and  twelve  mercantile  stores.  The  y^lue  of 
imports  to  this  pl^ce  in  the  cour;se  of  the  year,  may  i>e,estimat- 
ed  at  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  outfitsfo^ 
the  different  trading  establishments,,  on  (he  Mississippi  or  Mis- 
souri, are  made  here.  The  lead  of  the  Sac  mines  is  brought  to 
this  place;  the  troops  at  Belle  Fontaine  put  sixty  thotitand  dol- 
lars in  circulation  annually.  The  settlers  in  the  vicinfty  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  repair  to^this  place  as  the  best  market 
for  their  piroduce,  and  to  supply  themtclves  w>th  such  articles 
.as.  they  n^  need.  •■^iW'''-''ii  'v 

The  price  of  marketing  doesiiot  differ  much  from  the  towai 
of  the  westeiti  eountty ;  every  thing  appears  t<>  be  apptvxin^* 


s^ 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


ing  to  che  same  standard.    Game  of  all  kinds  is  brought  in  by 
the  neighbouring  -Indians,  or  the  poorer  inhabitants,  and  sold  for 
a  mere  trifle^;  as  venison,  turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  swans,  prairie 
hens,  &c.   Upon  the. whole,  provisions  i^re  po  higher  than  in  the> 
townsofthe  Ohio.   '"''''      /i-.^' 

The'  manners  of  the  inhabitants  are  not  different  from  thoso 
in  other  villages:  we  distinctly  see  the  character  of  the  ancient 
inhabitants,  and  of  the  new  residents,  and  a  compound  of  botV 
St.  Louis,'  howeverj  w^^  always  a  place  of  more  refinement  and 
fashion,  it  is  the  residence  of  many  genteel  ffvmiliesf  both  French, 
aiid  American. 

A  few  Anierican  mechanics,  \vho  have  settled  here,  within  ^ 
short  time,  are  great  acquisitions  to  the  place ;  and  there  is  still 
ample  room  for  workmen  of  all  kinds.  There  is  a  French  school 
and  an  English  one.    '  . 

St.  Louis,  will  prpbaoiy  beconke  one  of  those  great  rfeilervoirs 
pf  the  valley  between  the  Rocky  mountains  and  the  Alleghany, 
from  wjience  merchandise  will  be  distributed  to  an  extensive 
country.  It  unites  the  advantages  of  the  th^ee  noble  rivers,  Mis- 
sissippi, Illinois  and  Missotiri.  \Vheii  their  banks  shall  become 
the  residence  of  millions,  when  flourishing  towns  shall  arise,  can^ 
we  suppose  that  eVery  vender  of  merchandise,  will  look  to  New 
Orleans  for  a  supply^  or  to  the  Atlantic  cities  I  There  must  be 
a  place  of  distribution,  somewhere  l^etween  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio  and  the  Missouri.  Besides  a  trade  tb  the  northern  parts  of 
^ew  Spsdn  will  be  opened,  and  a  direct  com^uidiication  io  the 
East  Indies,  by  way  of  the  Missouri,  may  be  mbre  ths^n  dreamt : 
in  this,  St.  Louis  will  become  the  Memfihia  of  the  Anietidan. 
Nile/^   -'y  ■■ 

ST.  GENEVlEVBj  " 

Is  ^ext  in  consequence  t^  S.t>  Louis.  It  is  at  present  the  prinr 
cipal  deposit  of  tiiie  lead,  oflN^ine  la  Motte,,the  Mine  a  fiurtoO} 
l^ew  Di£gipgs>the  iQines  on  Big  ciyisp,^wi^  several  pthers;  and 
is  the  stpre-hpusevfrpfn'whe^xce  tbpSjQ  epgf^gpd  v\  wor|(ing,the 
mines  are  supplied  with  a  variety  pf  articles,  .^hif  m^a  was . 

cpmmeuced  about  the  fc^r  ^I'f^^yoh  i^aVs^  j^th  Io  uJ-k^  .»riT 

It  ifi  situated  about  ope  n^^jl/Bffrom  the  Mississippi,  betweeo 
'IhQ  two  branches  of  a  stream  called  Qabourie^  on  a  fl^t  of  aj^out 


TOWI^S  &  VILLAGES.-BOOK  II. 


135 


one  hundred  acres,  and  something  higher  than  the  river  bottom.' 
There  is  a  second  b-^nk  about  twenty  feet  higher  than  this,  up' 
on  which  the  town  begin"-  at  present  to  extend ;  this  is  merely  a 
slip,  however,  and  bounded  by  a  third  bank,  eighty  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  river:  there  are  also  scattered  houses  for  some  dis* 
tance  up  each  branch  of  the  Gabourie.  West  of  the  town,  and  also 
north  of  the  Gabourie,  the  country  is  high  and  somewhat  broken. 
,  The  soil  is  a  yellow  clay ;  in  places  strewed  with  horn  stone,  but 
produces  gOod  wheat.  The  timber,  has  been  nearly  all  destroy- 
ed for  Che  use  of  the  inhabitants.  In  front  of  the  town,  on  the 
Mississippi,  there  is  a  fine  bottom,  commencing  from  the  Ga- 
bourie, and  extending  eight  or  nine  miles  down  the  river;  and 
for  the  greater  part  of  that  distance,  three  miles  in  Viridth.  The 
common  field  under  fence,  contains  sev^n  thousand  acres.'**!' 
There  are  six  stores,  and  in  the  course  of  the  present  year,  Iho 
imports  might  amount  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
St.  Genevieve  is  a  rising  town ;  a  greater  number  of  buildings 
have  been  erected  here  than  at  St.  Louis,  and  preparations  are 
making  for  building  a  number  more  in  the  course  of  the  next 
seiason.  There  are  two  brick  yards.  A  very  handsome  edifice 
has  been  erected  of  limestone,  on  the  hill,  commanding  an  ele.. 
^ant  prospect  of  the  river,  the  American  bottom,  and  of  the  hills 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Kaskaskia.  This  building  is  intended 
as  an  academy,  but  unfortunately,  those  gentlemen  who  gener* 
ously  undertook  this  work,  have  not  been  able  fully  to  succeed^ 
from  the  want  of  proper  support. 

The  population  of  St.  Genevieve  including  New  Bourbon, 
amounts  to  1,400.  There  is  about  the  same  proportion  of  slaves, 
as  at  St.  Louis;  the  number  of  Americans  is  also  about  the  same. 
There  was  formerly  a  village  of  Piorias  below  the  town,  but 
tliey  abandoned  it  some  time  ago.  * 

This  appears  aho  to  Lave  been  one  of  those  spots  pitched  uj)- 
;on  by  former  and  numerous  nations  of  Indians  as  a  place  of  resi« 
dence.  In  the  bottom  there  are  a  number  of  large  mounds.— 
Barrows,  and  places  of  interment,  are  every  where  to  be  seen. 

The  moMth  of 'ihe  Gabourie  is  about  one  mile  and  an  half 
jsboye  tiie  tov.n;  it  is  the  landing  place  and  harbor  of  boats;  wd 


196 


VIEWS  OF  L0U18IAKA, 


vhen  the  wuter  is  high,  they  can  come  up  to  the  town,  of  ever^ 

\a  the  neighbourhood,  there  are  several  remarkable  fouqr. 
tainS}  which  send  forth  copious  streams  of  water.  One  about  A 
mile  distant)  affords  a  considerable  accession  to  tlie  GabQurie^ 
and  turns  a  quU  a  short  distance  below.  The  fountain  itself,  is 
truly  beautiful ;  after  wandering  for  some  time  over  arid  and 
dry  billsi  we  coi^e  ^11  at  oiice  into  a  thick  grove  of  oak,  hickory 
and  other  trees,  and  descending  a  declivity,  we  discover  the  foun- 
tain, fifteen  or  twenty  feet  square,  and  as  many  in  depth,  enclus*. 
ed  4>n  all  sides,  except  the  one  from  whence  the  stream  issues,  by 
masses  of  Living  rock,  and  its  glassy  surface,  siiaded  with  young 
trees  and  shrubs.  Various  beautiful  creeping  vines,  with  their 
flowers,  soften  the  severity  cf  the  frownbg  rock,  ai>d  sport  ii\ 
festoons  woven  by  the  iantastic  hand  of  nature.  I  recollect  ^ 
trifling  incident,  which  occurred  in  one  of  my  visits  to  this  foun- 
tain, but  which  made  an  impression  on  my  mind.  I  found  a  par-, 
ty  of  about  Mxty  Shawane^e  warriors  encamped  near  it  i  aftejtr 
some  coversation  with  the  chief,  a  good  old  man,  and  of  a  re« 
murkable  fine  figure;  wby  said  he,  does  not  some  white  mai^ 
build  a  house  and  settle  hima«lf  near  this  place  ?  but,  continued 
the  old  chief,  seemingly  recollecting  himself,  perhaps  some 
Manitou  (spirit)  resides  here,  and  will  not  permit  it  1  How  siin- 
ilar  is  the  action  of  the  human  mind  in  all  countries,  and  in  all 
ages*  It  se,em?  to  be  a  natun^l  sentinient  ,to  attribute  to  whatev- 
or  is  extraordinary,  the  agency  or  control  of  some  superior  be- 
ing. The  anient  Greeks  and  Romans,  in  their  highest  stage  of 
refinement* "Cttfijied  it  so  ,far,  i^  to  have  divinities  for  every  foun- 
tain and  riv«r.^ 

.  ;St.  Genevieve  was  formerly  built  imn;iediateLy  qii  the  Missis* 
sippi,  but  the  washing  away  of  the  bank,  an^  the  great  flnod  of 
If  Q2  Cfanne'  dea  eauxj  caused  the  inhabitants  to  choose  a  I)igh- 
er  aitvation.  The  ruins  of  the  old  town  may  be  still  seen,  and 
thejre  are  several  orchards  of  £ne  fruit  yet  remaining. 

The  prUicipal  employment  of  the  inliabitauts  is  agriculture; 
^t;tbe  greater  party  are  also  more  or  less  engaged  in  the  lead 
mines.  This  is  a  career  of  industry  open  to  all,  and  the  youngs 
in  ^setting  oiit  to  do  ^methbg  for  themselves,  usually  fl^^e 


TOmfB  &  VILLAGE9.»1S00K  u.  i^ 

tlidr  first  essay  in  this  business.  A  number  of  the  inhabitants 
are  also  employed  as  boatmen,  for  the  purpose  of  conductinf^ 
voyages.  There  is  some  Indian  trade,  from  the  neighbouring 
Shawanese,  l^iorias,  and  Delawares.  There  are  but  few  mecha- 
nics, and  these  but  indifferent.  A  chapel  is  erected  here,  at  which 
the  Rev.  Mh  Maxwell  officiates. 

As  the  agriculture  of  St.  Genevieve,  is  carried  on  more  ex" 
ten&ivcly,  than  in  any  of  the  other  villages,  1  shall  take  this  op- 
portunity of  giving  a  desrrintion  of  it.    One  fence  encloses  tht> 
Wh6le  village  field,  and  this  is  kept  up  at  the  common  expense. 
The  river  side  is  left  open,  the  steepness  of  the  bank  rendering 
any  enclosure  unnecessary.  This  Held  is  divided  into  a  numbet 
6f  small  lots,  of  an  equal  size;  a  certain  number  of  arpents  in 
front,  and  a  certidn  number  in  depth.  The  more  wealthy  pos- 
sess and  cultivate  several  of  these  lots,  while  some  of  the  poorer 
tiass  do  not  own  one  entire.  But  nearly  all  the  inhabitants  liave 
a  share  in  them;  they  were  ceded  by  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment, as  an  appendage  to  the  possession  of  every  resident- 
er  in  the  village.  This  mode  has  been  practised  from  the  earli;- 
est  settlements  on  both  sides  of  the  Misussippi,  and  perhaps 
}iad  its  origin  from  necessary  precaution  against  the  Indianst 
Their  agricultural  labors  commence  in  the  month  of  April, 
when  the  inhabitants,  with  their  slaves,  are  seen  going  and  re- 
suming, each  morning  and  evening,  for  eight  or  ten  days,  with 
their  ploughs,  carts,  horses,  kt.  The  ground  is  broken  up  with 
«  kind  of  wheel  plough,  which  enters  deep  into  the  soil.  Corn, 
pumpkins,  and  spring  wheat,  compose  the  usual  crop.  It  is  now 
left  entirely  to  nature,  and  no  further  attention  is  paid  to  it  until 
harvest,  when  each  villager,  but  without  that  mirth  and  jolliQr, 
which  usually  takes  place  on  such  occasions,  in  other  countries, 
quietljT  hauls  in  his  own  crop.    There  is  a  great  contrast  be- 
tween the  lots  cultivated  by  the  Americans,  and  those  of  the 
-Creoles ;  psdns  vte  taken  to  keep  them  clear  of  weeds,  and  this 
is  rewarded  by  a  crop  of  at  least  one  third  greater.    In  the 
rich  alluvia,  it  is  thought,  that  wheat  sowed  in  the  spring  is 
best }  it  does  not  grow  so  rank,  and  is  less  apt  to  lodge  or  mil- 
dew. There  is  a  kind  of  weed  here  resembling  hemp,  having  ^ 
ff^Kse,  vigorous  stalk)  and  a  strong  but  not  disagreeable  smeR^ 


;t^ 


VIEWS  OF  LOmSI.VKA/ 


this*  the  inhabitants  cut  during  summer,  to  feed  their  horses.  If 
grows  in  the  rich  bottoms,  and  in  great  abundance  through  the 
common  fields;  cattle  arc  extremely  fpnd  of  it.  After  the  har- 
vest is  completed,  the  barriers  of  the  fields  are  opened,  and  alt 
the  cattle  of  the  villuge  permitted  to  be  turned  in.  Horses  put 
into  the  field  before  this  period,  (for  each  one  has  generally  a 
part  of  his  lot  in  grass)  are  tied  to  long  ropes,  which  are  fasten- 
ed to  stakes.  , 
Besides  the  lots,  in  the  great  field,  the  principal  inhabitants^ 
have  of  late  years,  opened  plantations,  within  some  miles  of  the 
town ;  and  the  greater  part  of  the  stock  formerly  seen  about  this 
place*  has  been  removed  to  the  country  farms:  in  consequence 
of  wiiich,  the  passengers  are  enabled  to  go  through  the  streets 
without  danger  of  being  jostled  by  horses,  cows,  hogs,  and  oxen, 
which  formerly  crowded  tliem. 

8T.  CHARLES;  ' 

As  welt  as  the  two  places  before  described,  is  the  seat  of 
justice  of  the  district  bearing  its  name.  It  contains  three  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  a  considerable  proportion  of  them  Americans. 
There  are  two  or  three  stores,  which,  besides  supplying  the 
country  people  of  the  neighbourhood,  have  Some  trade  with  In- 
dian Or  white  hunters,  in  furs  and  peltries.  But  this  is  in  a 
great  m  asure,  the  residence  of  that  class  of  French  inhabitants, 
lehose  occupation  is  that  of  engageesf  or  boatmen.  Several  gen- 
teel families  also  reside  here. 

The  village  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  Missouri, 
ttrenty  miles  from  the  junction.  It  is  built  on  a  very  narrow 
space,  between  the  river  and  the  blufT,  admitting  but  one  street 
a  mile  in  length.  A  short  distance  below,  the  bottom  becomes 
•wide ;  the  hills  behind  the  village  are  extremely  rough,  and 
scarcely  susceptible  of  tillage.  The  Missouri  is  yearly  washing 
■  away  the  ground  on  which  this  place  staiids.  The  common  fiefd 
i%  situated  two  miles  lower  down* 


TOWKS  &  VILlAGlSS.— BOOiC  H.  I# 

ITBW  MADRID,* 

The  fteat  of  juslice  of  the  district,  and  formerly  Called,  tjime 
tifiagreue.  It  is  situated  in  36*  34  N.  long.  89*  20  W.  Though 
in  a  low  state  of  improTement  at  present,  it  ought  to  become  im* 
portant.  It  will  be  the  store-house  of  the  produce  of  an  exten- 
sive  and  fertile  country  i  and  from  the  Sti  Francis  and  the  lakes 
which  lie  S.  W.  it  may  derive  important  advantages.  New  Ma« 
drid  was  laid  out  twenty'-four  years  ago,  by  col.  Geo.  Morgan* 
on  an  extensive  scale,  and  an  elegant  plan<  It  was  chosen  as  one 
of  the  best  situations  on  the  river.  The  town  contains  four  huA^ 
dred  inhabitants,  one  third  Americans,  living  in  a  scattered  way* 
over  a  great  space  of  ground.  It  is  the  residence  of  several  ami-* 
able  and  genteel  families,  from  whom,  I  acknowledge  with  plea- 
sure, to  have  received  much  kindness  and  hospitality.  There 
is,  however,  a  due  proportion  of  the  worthless  and  despicable 
part  of  society. 

At  New  Madrid,  the  Mississippi  has  assumed  the  shape  of 
a  half  moon,  in  the  hollow  of  which,  the  town  stands.  The  bank 
is  high,  but  the  washing  away  has  been  astonishingly  great*  at 
least  three  hundred  yards  have  disappeared.  ^  Three  forts,  and  a 
number  of  large  and  spacious  streets  have  been  taken  awayy 
within  these  fifteen  years.  From  the  course  which  the  river  haa 
now  assumed,  it  is  probable  that  this  will  cease*  and  such  is  the 
character  of  this  wonderful  stream,  that  in  a  few  years,  New 
Madrid  may  be  left  far  from  its  bank. 

*  It  might  appear  useless  to  insert  this  description }  the  town  hav- 
ing been  nearly  destroyed  by  the  earthquakef ;  but  it  may  be  curioua  to 
reoord  what  it  once  was. 


f  We  «re  informed  that  the  shocks  at  this  place  have  entirely  ceas* 
ed,  and  that  this  town,  which  had  been  almost  depopulated,  is  af^ain  be- 
ginning to  be  re-established.  Where  the  town  stood,  the  ground  has 
sunk  so  much,  that  in  the  last  flood  it  was  entirely  overflowed ;  but,  a 
short  distance  below,  the  ground  which  was  before  low,  is  now  at  least 
five  feet  above  the  highest  water.  Several  lakes  are  now  cornfields.— 
There  are  hopes  that  this  beautiful  district  will  soon  regain  iis  former 
advantages. 


tm  VIFAV8  OF  LOUISIANA. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  town  there  is  a  considerable  streamy 
of  which  I  have  already  spoken,  and  might,  at  most  sj^sons,  be 
navigated  to  its  source ;  at  New  Madrid  it  is  called  the  Bayou 
St.  Jolui^  and  affords  an  excellent  harbor.  Below  the  town  tlicre 
is  a  beautiful  lake,  six  or  ci^ht  feet  deep,  with  a  clear  sandy 
bottom,  and  communicutint*  with  the  St.  Francis,  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi, in  hi^h  water.  On  the  bank  of  this  lake,  about  four 
miles  from  New  Madrid,  there  is  one  of  the  largest  Indian 
mounds  in  the  western  country :  as  near  as  I  could  compute,  it 
is  twelve  hundred  feet  in  circumference,  and  about  forty  in  height^ 
level  on  tlie  top,  and  surrounded  with  a  ditch  five  feet  deep  and 
ten  wide.  In  this  neiglibourhood  there  arc  traces  of  a  great  po- 
pulation. 

The  country  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Madrid,  is  a  vast  plain 
of  the  richest  soil,  handsomely  diversified  with  prairie  and  wood- 
land. There  is  not  much  business  done  at  this  place;  two  or 
three  mercantile  stores  are  estublislied,  but  not  extensively ;  yet 
I  should  think  this,  a  situation  extremely  eligible  for  a  person  of 
enterprise. 

New  Madrid  is  considered  healthy,  and  from  my  own  expe- 
rience, I  am  convinced  of  the  justice  of  this  character.  There 
is  nothing  more  delightful  than  a  promenade  in  a  summer 
evening,  on, the  smooth  green  along  the  bank.  The  climate  is 
mild  and  agreeable ;  in  the  hottest  days  of  summer,  a  cool  and 
refreshing  breeze  is  felt  from  the  river.  The  spring  is  compa- 
ratively early.  I  ate  strawberries  here  the  twentieth  of  April) 
and  at  St.  Louis  in  June.  New  Madrid  t --iserves  to  be  noted 
for  having  the  first  gardens  in  the  territory. 


ARKANSAS. 

This  place  is  situated  sixty  miles  up  the  river,  and  contains 
four  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants;  it  has  a  few  storesj  and 
seems  to  be  improving. ,  There  is  a  considerable  trade  with  the 
Osages  up  the  Arkansas,  and  with  the  Indians,  who  live  in  the 
White  river  country.  This  is  also  a  French  establishment,  and 
with  about  the  same  proportion  of  Americans  as  in  the  other 
towns. 


TOWNS  &  VILLAGES  —BOOK  IT, 


m 


CA/K    GlRAEDEAVi 

ilie  ^at  of  justice  for  the  district  of  that  name,  and  situated 
tliirty-five  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  This  town  is  en- 
tirely American,  and  built  in  their  fushion.  It  is  thriving  fast: 
there  are  a  number  of  good  houses,  several  of  them  of  brick. 
It  contains  about  thirty  dwellings,  and  thr^e  hundred  inha- 
bitants. 

The  town  is  situated  on  a  high  bluflf,  but  the  descent  to  the 
river  is  not  difficult.  From  its  situation,  and  the  excellence  of 
the  Surrounding  country,  this  town  bids  fair  to  become  a  flour- 
ishing  place.  Two  stores  are  established  here,  though  on  a 
small  scale.  I  have  the  pleasure  of  being  acquainted  with  seve- 
ral amiable  families. 


!xpe- 
here 
imer 
ktc  is 
\\  and 
[mpa- 
,pril, 
loted 


I»tain8 
li  mi 
Ihthe 
In  the 
[,  and 
lother 


BERCULANEUM, 

On  the  Mississippi,  halfway  between  St.  Louis,  and  St.  Ge- 
nevieve. 

The  situation  of  this  place  is  extremely  romantic ;  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Joachin,  and  on  a  flat  of  no  great  width,  between 
the  river  hill  and  second  bank,  while  at  each  end,  perp>endicular 
precipices,  two  hundred  feet  high,  rise  almost  from  the  water's 
edge.  It  appears  to  be  an  opening  for  the  admission  of  the  Jo- 
achin to  the  Mississippi.  Oii  the  top  of  each  of  these  cliffs, 
shot  towers  Iiave  been  Atablished.  The  town  contains  twenty 
houses,  and  two  hundred  inhabitants ;  here  is  a  store,  an  excel- 
lent blacksmith,  and  a  hatter.  The  country  behind  the  town  is 
hilly,  but  well  timbered,  and  land  good.  Several  fine  mills  have 
been  erected  in  the  neighbourhood  of  this  place,  and  boat  build- 
ing is  carried  on  here. 

Carondelet,  or  Vuidepoche,  is  situated  six  miles  below  St. 
Louis~-218  inhabitants.  Florissant  on  the  Missouri,  270.  Mine 
La  Motte,  250 — and  a  number  of  other  small  villages.  A  village 
has  lately  been  commenced  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Frftncilr. 


133 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


HISTORIC Al'  CHARACTER  OF  THE  AKCIENT  INHABITANTS*^ 
CHANOE  Oy  GOVFHNMEMT. 

THERE  is  scarcely  any  thing  more  difficulty  and  consequent- 
ly more  rare,  than  correct  delineation  of  character :— This  task 
is  usually  undertaken  by  friends  or  enemies,  and  the  result  is' 
either  panegyrick  or  satire.-— Even  amongst  such  as  are  unbi" 
assed,  how  few  the  happy  copyists,  who  can  paint  nature  with 
her  own  colors,  so  as  to  be  recognised  by  every  beholder  I 

Conscious  of  this  difficulty,  I  entertain  humble  hopes  of  sue* 
cess,  in  being  able  to  satisfy  the  expectation  and  inquiries  of  the 
intelligent  reader.  And,  particularly  where  there  are  no  strik- 
ing and  prominent  features,  but  the  traits  of  an  infant  colony  de> 
licately  marked. 

A  colony  will  not  remain  long  separated  from  the  parent 
■tock,  until  it  exhibits  a  peculiar  and  distinct  character.  Climate, 
situation,  and  country,  although  not  exclusively  the  agents  in 
forming  this  character,  must  nevertheless,  be  admitted  to  have 
great  influence.  Nor  do  the  manners  of  the  parent  country'  con* 
tinue  invariable  ;  other  times,  other  men,  other  circumstanceti 
produce  the  most  surprising  changes,  while  the  colony,  beyond 
the  sphere  of  their  influence,  retains  its  pristine  customs  and 
manners.  The  Spaniards  of  Mexico,  are  said  to  bear  a  stronger 
Resemblance  to  their  ancestors  of  the  fifteenth  century,  than  to 
their  present  brethren  of  Old  Spain  :-<-The  French  inhabitants  of 
the  Mississippi,  have  little  resemblance  to  the  gay,  and  perhaps 
frivolous,  Frenchmen  of  Louis  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth,  and 
still  less  to  those  who  have  felt  the  racking  storm  of  the  revo* 
lution. 

To  the  country  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi,  the  general 
name,  J^es  Illinoix^  was  given*  It  was  inhabited  by  a  powerful 
Indian  nation  of  that  name,  at  present  reduced  to  a  handful  of 
miserable  creatures.  After  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  by 
Mons.  Joliet  aiid  the  priest  Marquette,  from  Canada,  a  num* 
b«r  of  Canadian  traders,  about  the  year  1 680,  settled  in  Kas* 
kaskia,  a  large  Indian  town.  By  degrees,  a  number  of  families 
trere  induced  io  t^uit  Canada}  for  a  country  represented  as  much 


ANCIENT  INHABITANTS,  8cc.-B00K  II. 


13& 


more  desirable.  A  monastery  cf  Jesuits  was  established  here, 
which  succeeded  'n  convertint;  a  number  of  the  Indians  to 
Christianity.  I  am  credibly  informed)  that  they  had  at  one  time, 
five  hundred  catechumens  In  time,  these  people,  as  it  has  ever 
been  the  case,  were  found  to  degenerate  and  diminish,  from 
their  intercourse  with  the  whites :  and  the  French  were  left  the 
■possessors  and  proprietors  of  their  village. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  the  celebrated 
scheme  of  Lawj  and  Comfiany\  was  set  on  foot,  and  supported 
by  the  high  reputation  for  wealth  and  fertility,  which  Louisiana 
had  already  required.  To  further  this  delusion,  it  was  represent- 
ed in  still  more  glowing  colors,  and  it  became  the  paradise  of 
Frenchmen.  The  Illinois  was  regarded  as  of  immense  impor- 
tance )  the  attention  of  the  nation  was  turned  towards  it,  and  not- 
withstanding the  failure  of  Law's  project,  this  remote  colony 
Aourished  surprisingly.  Besides  Kaskaskia,  which  became  a 
considerable  place,  there  were  several  large  villages,  a  lucra- 
tive fur  trade  was  carried  on,  and  an  extensive  agriculture.— 
These  settlements  sent  to  New  Orleans  in  one  year,  (1746) 
eight  hundred  thousand  weight  of  flour.  But,  at  this  time  thero 
was  not  one  permanent  establishment  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Mississippi,  although  resorted  to  by  traders,  and  the  lead  mines 
were  known  and  worked.  Twenty-five  or  thirty  years  after  the 
failure  of  Law,  the  French,  with  something  more  substantial  in 
view,  had  formed  the  plan  of  securing  the  great  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  of  connecting  it  with  Canada ;  immense  sums 
of  money  were  expended.  Fort  Ctiartres,  which  is  said  to  have 
cost  the  crown,  nine  millions  of  livres,  was  built,  and  the  village 
of  Fort  Chartres  rose  by  its  side ;  but  alas !  srch  are  the  reverses 
of  fortune,  even  in  this  newly  peopled  region,  the  gay  and 
sprightly  village  has  disappeared  forever,  and  the  fort  is  but  a 
noble  ruin.  This  fort  was  deemed  an  important  one,  at  which 
there  was  stationed  an  officer  of  rank,  with  a  suitable  command. 
Much  of  the  elegance  and  refinement  of  the  officers  was  com- 
municated to  the  susceptible  inhabitants. 

The  war  between  France  and  England,  which  broke  out 
about  the  year  1754,  deprived  France  of  her  possessions  in  this 
parr  of  the  world.    In  consequence  of  this,  les  IlUnoix  epiperi- 


m 


yiBWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


enced  a  sudden  and  rapid  decay ;  which  was  again  accelerated 
by  the  conquest  of  general  Clark  for  the  United  States,  in 
1779.  The  greater  number  of  the  wealthy  and  respectable 
inhabitants  descended  the  Mississippi)  and  settled  in  New  Or- 
leans, and  the  lower  country.  Others  crossed  the  Mississippi, 
and  established  St.  Louis  and  St.  Genevieve.  Scarcely  any  but 
natives  of  the  country  remained.  The  foreigners  chiefly  re- 
turned to  the  countries  from  whence  they  first  emigrated. 

Such  then,  is  the  origin  of  the  greater  part  of  that  class  of  the 
population  of  this  territory,  which  I  have  denominated  the  an** 
cient  inhabi^tanta.  They  are  chiefly  natives  of  the  country ;  but 
few  families  urcimmediately  from  France^  or  oyen from  New 
Qrlcana  or  Canada. 

In  the  character  of  these  people,  it  must  be  remembered,  that 
they  are  essentially  Frenchmen ;  but,  without  that  restlessness* 
impatience  and  fire,  which  distinguishes  the  European.  There 
is,  even  in  iheir  deportment,  something  of  the  gravity  of  thQ 
Spaniard,  though  gay,  and  fond  of  amusements.  From  the  gen- 
ule  and  easy  life  which  they  led,  their  manners,  and  even  lan- 
guage, have  assumed  a  certain  degree  of  softness  and  mildness : 
the  word  fiaisibley  expresses  this  characteristic.  In  this  remote 
country,  there  were  few  objects  to  urge  to  enterprise,  and  few 
occasions  to  call  forth  and  exercise  their  energies.  The  neces- 
saries of  life  were  easily  procured,  and  beggary  was  unknown. 
Hospitality  was  exercised  as  in  the  first  ages,  for  there  were  no 
taverns.  Ambition  soared  far  hence,  for  here  there  was  no  prey, 
fudges,  codes  of  law,  and  prisons,  were  of  little  use,  where  such 
simpiicjity  of  manners  prevailed,  and  where  every  one  knew  how 
far  to  confide  in  his  neighbour.  In  such  a  state  of  things,  to  what 
end  is  learning  or  science  \  The  schools  afforded  but  slender 
instruction ;  the  better  sort  of  people  acquired  in  them  readingi 
writing,  and  a  little  arithmetic.  The  number  of  those  who  were 
lovers  of  knowledge,  and  made  it  a  profession,  was-small.  From 
the  habits  of  these  people,  it  would  naturally  be  expected,  that 
they  would  have  been  unaccustomed  to  reason  on  political  sub- 
jects; they  were  in  fact,  as  ignorant  of  them,  as  children  are 
of  life  and  manners.  These  inhabitants  were  as  remarkable  for 
their  tame  and  peaceable  dispoaitioD)  as  the  natives  of  France  are 
for  the  reverset 


ANaeNT  INHABITANTS,  tkc-'BOOK  II. 


m 


'  Amongst  their  virtues)  vre  may  enumerate  honesty  and  punc- 
tuality in  their  dealings,  hospitality  to  strangers,  friendship  and 
affection  amongst  relatives  and  neighbours.  Instances  of  abai>> 
donment  on  the  female  side,  or  of  seduction,  are  extremely  rare. 
The  women  make  faithful  and  affectionate  wives,  but  will  not  bo 
considered  secondary  personages  in  the  matrimonial  association. 
The  advice  of  the  wife  is  taken  on  all  important,  as  well  as  on 
less  weighty  concerns,  and  she  generally  decides.  In  opposi- 
tion to  these  virtues,  it  must  be  said,  that  they  are  devoid  of 
public  spirit,  of  enterprise  or  ingenuity,  and  arc  indolent  and 
uninformed. 

They  are  jp^tholics,  but,  very  far  from  being  bigoted  or  su- 
per'ttitious,  as  some  travellers  have  said.  They  were  perhaps 
more  strict  observers,  formerly,  of  the  rules  and  discipline 
of  their  church,  and  of  the  different  holy  days  in  tlie  calendar. 
Their  /etest  or  celebration  of  these  days,  were  considered,  as 
the  most  interesting  occasions ;  the  old  and  young  engaged  in 
them  with  the  greatest  delight,  and  they  doubtless  contribut- 
ed to  their  happiness.  Of  late,  this  attention  to  the  ceremonies 
of  their  religion  ii^  considerably  relaxed,  since  other  objects  of 
pursuit  and  interest  have  been  opened  to  their  view-  The  ca^ 
tholic  worship  is  the  only  one  yet  known  in  the  territory,  except 
in  private  families,  and  in  a  few  instances  of  itinerant  preachers. 
There  was  scarcely  any  distinction  of  classes  in  the  society. 
The  wealthy  o;*  more  intelligent,  would  of  course  be  considered 
as  more  important  personages,  but  there  was  no  difference  clear- 
ly marked.  They  all  associated,  dressed  alike,  and  frequented 
the  same  ball  room.  They  were  in  fact  nearly  all  connected  by 
the  tics  of  affinity  or  consanguinity :  and  so  extensive  is  it,  that 
I  have  seen  the  carnival,  from  the  death  of  a  common  relation^ 
pass  by  cheerless  and  unheeded.  The  number  of  persons  ex- 
cluded was  exceedingly  small.  What  an  inducement  to  com- 
port ones  self  with  propriety  and  cU  cumspection  I  The  same  in- 
terest at  stake,  the  same  sentiments  that  in  other  countries  in- 
fluence the  first  classes  of  society,  were  here  felt  by  all  its  mem* 
bers.  Perhaps  as  many  from  unmerited  praise  have  been  form- 
ed into  valuable  characters,  as  others  from  having  been  unjust- 
ly despised  have  become  truly  despicable. 


/» 


136 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


Their  .wealth  consisted  principallyin  personal  property,  Iand« 
were  only  valuable  when  improved.  Sloven  were  regarded  Id 
the  light  of  bien  fonder,  or  real  property*  and  in  fact,  as  the  high- 
est species.  Lead  and  peltry  were  frequently  used  as  the  cir- 
culating medium.  ' 

There  was  but  little  variety  in  their  employments.  The  most 
enterprising  and  wealthy  were  traders,  and  had  at  the  same  time 
trifling  aJssortments  of  merchandise  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  inhabitants,  but  there  were  no  open  shops  or  stores;!  as  in  the 
United  States.  There  were  no  tailors  or  shoemakers;  such  as 
pursue  these  occupations  at  present,  are  from  the  United  States. 
The  few  mechanics,  exercising  their  trades,  principally  carpen* 
tcrs  and  smiths,  scarcely  deserved  the  i(kme.  The  lead  mines, 
I  have  already  observed,  engaged  a  considerable  number.  The 
government  gave  employment  to  but  few,  and  those  principally 
at  St.  Louis.  By  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the  population 
was  engaged  in  agriculture ;  in  fact,  it  was  the  business  of  all, 
since  the  surplus  produce  of  the  country  was  too  inconsiderable 
to  be  depended  upon.  A  number  of  the  young  men  for  some 
time,  embraced  the  employment  of  boatmen,  which  was  by  no 
means  considered  degrading;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  desira- 
ble fc  V*  a  young  man  to  have  it  to  say,  that  he  had  made  a  voy- 
age in  this  capacity :  and  they  appeared  proud  Of  the  occupa- 
tion, in  which  they  certainly  are  not  surpassed  by  any  people  in 
dexterity.  It  is  highly  pleasing  to  see  them^  exerting  them- 
selves, and  giving  encouragement  to  each  other,  by  their  cheer- 
]ngsong»~         '      '  .       *^ 

■  I      ■  auJuctis  spumant  freta  versa  lacertU. 
Infindunt  pariter  sulcos ;  totumque  dehiscit 
Convulsum  remis,  rostrisque  tridentibuti  aequor. 

But  this  occupation,  amongst  many  other  changes,  has  been 
teduced  to  the  same  footing  as  with  the  Americans.  Arising 
jprobably  from  the  simple  cause*  of  there  having  arisen  objects 
'•f  more  generoas  emuliation. 

What  is  some^vhat  strange,  there  were  no  domestic  manu- 
fikCtures  among  them ;  the  spinning  wheel  and  the  loom  were 
alike  unknewn.  So  deficient  were  they  in  this  respect,  that  aU 


ANC*rNT  INHABITANTS,  &c,— BOOK  U, 


137 


though  possessed  of  numerous  herds,  they  were  not  even  ac- 
quainted with  the  use  of  the  chum,  but  made  their  butler  by 
beating  the  cream  in  a  bowl,  or  shaking  it  in  a  bo^  :Ie. 

Their  amusements,  were  cards,  billiards,  and  dances :  thia 
last  of  course  the  favorite.  The  dances,  were  cotillions,  reels* 
and  sometimes  the  minuet.  During  the  carnival,  the  balls  fol* 
low  in  rapid  succession.  They  have  a  variety  of  pleasing  cus^ 
toms,  connected  with  this  amusement.  Children  have  also  their 
balls,  and  are  taught  a  decorum  and  propriety  of  behavior* 
wh:ch  is  preserved  through  life.  They  have  a  certain  ease  and 
freedom  of  address,  and  are  taught  the  secret  of  real  politeness* 
aelf "denial i  but  which  by  the  apes  of  French  manners,  is  mista- 
ken for  an  adjected  grimace  of  complaisant  regard,  and  a  profu- 
sion of  bows,  scrapes  and  professions. 

Their  language,  every  thing  considered,  is  mofe  pul'e  than 
might  be  expected ;  their  manner  of  lengthening  the  sound  of 
words,  although  languid,  and  without  the  animation  which  the 
French  generally  possess,  is  by  no  means  disagreeable.  They 
have  some  new  words,  and  others  are  in  use,  which  in  France 
have  become  obsolete. 

Tn  their  persons,  tl  ire  well  formed,  of  an  agreeable  plea- 
sant countenance ;  indicating  cheerfulness  and  serenity.  Their 
dress  Wi\s  formerly  extremely  simple;  the  men  wore  a  blanket 
coat,  of  coarse  cloth  or  coating,  with  a  cape  behind,  which, 
could  be  drawn  over  the  head ;  from  which  circumstance  it  was 
called  a  capote.  They  wore  a  blue  handkerchief  on  their  heads : 
but  no  hats,  or  shoes,  or  stockings ;  moccasins,  or  the  Indiaa 
sandai.H,  were  used  by  both  sexes.  The  dress  of  the  females  was 
likew7.se  simple,  and  the  variations  of  fashion,  few :  though  they 
were  dressed  in  a  much  better  taste  than  the  other  sex.  These 
manners  will  soon  cease  to  exist,  but  in  remembrance  and  de- 
scription :  eveiy  thing  has  changed.  The  American  costume  is 
generally  introduced,  amongst  the  first  families,  and  amongst  the 
young  girls  and  young  men  universally.  I  never  saw  any  where 
greater  elegance  of  dress  than  at  the  balls  of  St  Louis.  We  btill 
see  a  few  of  both  sexes  in  their  ancient  habiliments;  capots^ 
moccasins,  blue  handkerchiefs  on  tlie  head,  a  pipe  in  the  mouth, 
aod  the  hair  tied  up  in  a  long  queue.    These  people  cx,hibjt  a 

s 


m 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA! 


Striking  difference  when  compared  with  the  unconquerable  per" 
tinacity  of  the  Pennsylvania  Germans,  who  adhere  so  rigidly  to 
the  customs,  manners,  and  language  of  their  fathers.  A  few 
years  have  efiected  more  change  with  the  inhabiler.ts  of  this 
territory  than  has  been  brought  about  amongst  the  Germans  in 
fifty  years. 

The  government^  of  the  province,  though  a  mixture  of  tie 
civil  and  military,  was  simple.  Each  district  had  its  commandant) 
or  syndic.  These  were  the  judges  in  civil  matters  under  a  cer- 
tain amount,  and  had  also  command  of  the  militia.  They  receiv- 
ed their  appointment  from  the  tntendant  at  New  Orleans,  to 
whom  there  was  an  appeal)  from  their  decisions,  and  where  were 
also  referred  such  matters  as  exceeded  their  jurisdiction.  Arbi- 
trators under  the  direction  of  the  commandant,  in  some  degree 
obviated  his  want  of  authonty.  The  mode  of  proceeding  is  sin- 
gular enough ;  the  party  complaining  obtained  a  notification  i'rom 
the  commandant  to  his  adversary  of  the  complaint,  accompani- 
ed by  a  command  from  the  commandant,  to  render  the  com- 
plainant justice.  If  this  had  no  effect  he  was  notified  to  appear 
before  the  commandant  on  a  particular  day,  and  answer  the  com- 
plaint; and  if  this  last  notice  was  neglected,  a  sergeant)  with  a 
file  of  men,  was  sent  to  bring  him. 

The  Ueut.  governor,  who  resided  at  St.  Liouis,  was  the  com- 
mander of  che  militia,  and  had  a  general  superintendance  of  the 
public  works  and  property,  but  I  do  not  know  the  exact  extent 
of  his  powers.  The  laws  of  Spain  were  in  force  here :  but  it 
does  not  appear  that  any  others  had  been  in  practice,  besides 
those,  which  related  to  lar«d«  and  the  municipal  arrangements. 
Laws  regpalating  civil  contracts,  are  so  intimately  interwoven 
with  the  manners  of  a  people,  that  it  is  no  easy  task  to  separate 
them :  h6re  la  coutume  de  ParU^  the  common  law  of  France) 
was  the  system  by  which  their  contracts  were  governed.  The 
judges,  in  administering  justice  according  to  the  American  ju- 
risprudence, are  often  perplexed  by  the  article  of  Session,  which 
provides,  that  respect  should  be  paid  to  the  usages  and  customs 
of  the  country.  A  few  troops  were  kept  up  in  each  district, 
throughout  the  province,  but  too  intonsiderable  to  afford  mudi 
protection  to  the  inhabitants.    This  country  being  so  remote 


ANCIENT  INHABITANTS,  be.— BOOK  II. 


m 


from  the  main  possessions  of  Spain,  was  not  regarded  with  much 
attention,  when  we  consider  its  natural  importance.  The  rod  of 
government  was  so  light  as  scarcely  to  be  felt;  the  worst  of  the 
governors,  were  content,  with  imposing  on  their  king,  by  exor- 
J^itjint  charges  for  useless  fortifications,  or  for  supplies  never  fur- 
nished. I  have  heard  of  some  oppressions  practised  on  stran- 
gers, but  I.  have  been  informed  by  a  number  of  Americans  set- 
tled here  before  the  change,  that  the  Spanish  government  treat- 
ed them  with  particular  attention  and  respect.  I  believe,  instan- 
ces of  individual  oppressions  on  the  part  of  the  governors,  were 
few:  but  this  is  lo  be  attributed,  not  to  the  government)  but  to 
the  state  of  society. 

The  present  government  appears  to  be  operating  a  general 
change:  its  silent  but  subtle  spirit  is  felt  in  every  nerve  and  vein, 
of  the  body  politic.  The  United  States,  acting  upon  broad  prin- 
ciples, cannot  be  influenced  by  contemptible  partialities  between 
their  own  sons  and  their  adopted  children.  They  do  not  want  co- 
lonies—they will  disdain  to  hold  others  in  the  same  sti^e*  which 
they  themselves  so  nobly  despised.  They  are  in  fact,  both  natives 
of  the  same  land,  and  both  can  claim  Freedom  as  their  birth  right. 

It  requires  many  hands  to  work  the  complicated  machinery 
of  our  government ;  the  object  of  which,  is  to  enable  men,  as 
much  as  possible,  to  govern  themselves.  Each  of  the  principal 
towns,  has  its  ofHcers,  its  legislature,  in  which  the  ancient  in- 
habitants have  the  principal  voice.  They  have  been  placed  on 
the  bench,  they  are  jurors  and  magistrates ;  commissions  are 
distributed,  which,  although  not  regarded  of  much  impottanc^ 
in  time  of  peace,  yet  they  make  a  man  feel  that  he  counts  some- 
thing in  his  country;  for  instance,  in  the  militia,  there  are  gene- 
rals, colonels,  majors,  captains,  &c.  Thus,  one  might  suppose 
that  their  manners  and  habits  of  thinking  were  gradually  pre- 
paring for  the  reception  of  a  free  government.  The  Americans 
have  communicated  to  ttiem,  their  industry  and  spirit  of  enter- 
prise, and  they  in  turn,  have  given  some  of  their  more  gentle  and 
amiable  customs.  Upon  the  whole,  the  American  manners,  and 
even  language,  begin  to  predominate  The  young  men  have  al- 
ready been  formed  by  our  government,  and  those  growing  up 
will  have  J^nown  no  other.  A  lingular  change  h«»  taken  places 


140 


VIEWS  OP  LOUISIANA* 


ivhich,  one  would  think,  ought  not  to  be  the  result  of  a  transition 
from  a  despotism  to  a  republican  government:  luxury  has  in- 
creased  in  a  wonderful  degree,  and  there  exists  something  like 
a  distinction  in  the  classes  of  society.  On  the  other  hand)  rooro 
pains  are  taken  with  the  education  of  youth  }  some  have  sei\t 
their  sons  to  the  seminaries  of  the  United  States,  and  all  seem 
linxious  to  attain  this  desirable  end  Several  of  the  young  men 
|iave  entered  the  army  of  the  United  States,  and  have  discover- 
ed talents.  The  females  are  also  instructed  with  more  care*  and 
the  sound  of  the  piano  is  now  heard  in  their  dwellings  for  the 
$rst  time* 

Versonal  property,  a  few  articles  excepted,  h»8  fallen  on  an 
HTcrage,  two  hundred  per  cent,  in  value,  and  real  property  risen 
at  least  five  hundred-  Pnt  the  prices  of  merchandise  had  no 
proportion  to  the  price  of  produce.  Five  bushels  of  corn  were 
formerly  necessary  for  the  purchase  of  a  handkerchief,  which 
can  now  be  had  for  one,  The  cultivators  raised  little  pro- 
duce beyond  what  was  necessary  for  theii  own  subsistence,  it 
was  therefore  held  at  high  prices,  but  fell  far  short  of  the  present 
proportion  to  the  price  of  imported  articles ;  the  petty  trade  was 
the  principal  dependence  for  these  supplies.  Their  agriculture 
was  so  limited,  that  instances  have  been  known,  of  their  having 
been  supplied  by  the  kip^,  on  the  failure  of  their  crops  from 
the  inundation  of  the  Mississippi.  The  low  value  of  lands  natu- 
rally  arqse  fron^  the  great  quantities  lying  waste,  and  unoccu- 
pied, in  proportion  tp  the  e3(tent  of  the  population,  or  of  its  pro* 
bable  increase,  and  the  consequent  facility  with  which  it  could 
be  obtained.  Xent  was  scarcely  known, 

It  may  be  questioned)  whether  the  poorest  class  has  been 
benefited  by  the  ch^ge,  Fearless  of  absolute  want)  they  always 
lived  in  a  careless  and  thoughtless  manner  ^  nt  present  the  greats 
er  part  of  them  obtain  a  precaripus  subsistence.  They  general^ 
ly  possess  ^  cart)  a  horse  of  two,  a  sm^I  stock  of  cattle,  and  cul- 
tivate small  plots  of  ground.  At  St.  |!.iOuis  they  have  more  em- 
)>loyment  than  in  the  other  villages;  they  make  hay  in  the  prai- 
Hes)  haul  wood  for  sale,  and  ^re  employ^^i  to  'io  trifiing  jobs  in 
town;  some  a^e  boatmen  or  patrons.  At  St.  Genevieve,  they  de- 
pend more  upon  their  agriculture,  and  have  portions  in  the  great 


ANCIENT  INHABITANTS,  kc— BOOK  11. 


W^ 


field,  but  this  will  probably  Hoon  be  tuken  from  them  by  the 
greuter  industry  of  ihe  Americnn  cuitivutors,  who  are  couliuu* 
ally  purchttsingi  and  who  can  give  double  the  sum  for  rent;  they 
are  sometimes-employed  in  hauling  lead  fi*om  the  mines,  but  it 
will  not  be  sufficient  for  their  support.  A  number  have  remov* 
ed  to  the  country,  and,  in  imitation  of  the  Americans,  have  set>^ 
tied  down  on  public  lands,  but  here  they  cannot  expect  to  remain 
long.  Those  who  live  in  the  more  remote  villages,  are  less  af- 
fected by  the  change,  but  there  is  little  prospect  of  their  be- 
ing better  situated.  But  few  of  them  have  obtained  permission, 
froAi  the  commandant,  to  settle  on  lands;  in  fact,  there  was  no 
safety  from  the  depredations  of  tiie  Indians,  in  forming  estublish* 
ments  beyond  the  vilUges.  Land  was  only  valued  for  what  it 
could  produce,  and  any  one  could  obtain  as  '  i  as  be  chose 
to  cultivate. 

Until  possession  was  taken  of  the  country  by  us,  there  was 
no  safety  from  the  robberies  of  tlie  Osage  Indians.  That  impo- 
litic lenity,  which  the  Spanish  and  even  the  French  govcrnmedt 
have  manifested  towards  them,  instead  of  a  firm  though  just 
course,  gave  rise  to  the  most  insolent  deportment  on  their  part. 
%  have  been  informed  by  the  people  of  St.  Genevieve,  who  suf- 
fered infinitely  the  most,  that  they  were  on  one  occasion  left 
witliout  a  horse  to  turn  a  mill.  The  Osages  were  never  followed 
to  any  great  distance  or  overtaken ;  this  impunity  necessarily  en- 
couraged them.  They  generally  entered  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  villages,  divided  into  small  parties,  and  during  the  night, 
stole  in  and  carried  awuy  every  thing  they  could  find,  frequent- 
ly breaking  open  stables,  and  taking  out  the  horses.  After  unit- 
ing at  a  small  distance,  their  place  of  rendejsvous,  they  marched 
leisurely  home,  driving  the  stolen  horses  before  them,  and  with- 
out the  least  dread  of  being  pursned.  They  have  not  dared  tb 
act  in  this  manner  under  the  present  government ;  there  have 
been  a  few  solitary  instances  of  robberies  by  them,  within  these 
three  or  four  years,  but  they  are  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
Americans  to  know,  that  they  will  be  instantly  r>*irsued,  even 
into  thpir  villages  and  compelled  to  surrender.  The  following 
well  attested  &ct,  will  serve  to  show  the  insolence  of  the  Osages 
under  the  former  government.    A  young  couple  on  their  way 


142 


VIEWS  0P1.0U18IAKA.- 


from  the  settlement^  just  then  formed  on  B\ff  river,  to  St  Gene* 
Tieve,  accompanied  by  a.  number  of  their  friends,  with  the  inten* 
ikm  of  hiiving  ttie  raatrimoniat  knot  tied  by  the  priest,  were 
met  by  sixty  Osages,  robbed  of  tiieir  liorseB,and  the  whole  par- 
ty actually  stripped !  What  serves,  however,  to  lessen  the  atro* 
tsity  of  these  outrages,  it  has  been  remarked,  that  thsy  are  never 
imown  to  take  away  the  lives  of  those  who  fall  into  their  hands, 
TIm  insolence  of  the  other  nations  who  came  openly  to  their 
Tillages,  the  Piorias,  Loups,  Kickapoos,  Chickasas,  Cherokeesi 
•tec.  is  inconceivable.  They  were  sometimes  perfectly  masters 
of  the  villages,  and  excited  general  consternation.  I  have  seen 
the  houses  on  some  occasions  closed  up,  and  the  doors  barred  by 
the  terrified  inhabitants ;  they  were  not  always  safe  even  there. 
It  is  strange  how  these  people  have  entirely  disappeared  with- 
in  a  few  years,  there  are  at  present  scarcely  a  sufficient  number 
to  supply  the  villages  with  game. 

The  historical  epocha  of  this  territory,  are  few  and  simple.. 
"Shortly  after  the  first  formation  of  the  settlement,  it  was  ceded 
-by  the  treaty  of  '63;  the  secret  treaty  between  Spain  and 
France  of  1 762,  was  not  known,  and  perhaps  never  would  have 
4>een,  if  France  had  proved  successful  in  her  contest  with  Bri- 
tain. The  history  of  Louisiana,  generally,  until  it  came  into 
the  hands  of  the  United  States,  is  the  history  of  this  territdry. 
By  the  treaty  of  Ildefonso,  of  Oct  1 800,  this  country  was  reced- 
ed by  Spain  to  France ;  the  situation  of  France  at  that  period 
not  permitting  her  to  take  possession,  she  ceded  it  to  the  U. 
"States.  The  fear  of  its  foiling  into  the  hands  of  her  enemy  was  a 
strong  inducement. 

On  the  part  of  the  United  States,  possession  WiS  taken  of  this 
territory  in  1804,  by  capt.  (now  major  Stoddard)  who  was  our 
'first  civil  commandant.  In  pursuance  of  the  act  of  congress^ 
which  separated  it  from  the  district  of  Orleans,  with  the  name 
of  the  district  of  Louisiana,  it  was  placed  for  the  moment,  under 
ihe  government  of  the  territory  of  Indiana.  Governor  Harrison, 
of  that  territory,  accordingly,  organized  the  government,  and 
put  it  in  motion  In  1805,  it  was  erected  info, a  territorial  go- 
vernment similar  to  that  of  the  other  territories^  by  the  name  ^f 


AWCIENT  INHABITANTS,  &e— BOOR  ft 


141 


the  Territory  of  Louisiana.*  For  these  things  I  must  riefer  the 
reader  to  the  different  acts  of  congress  on  the  subject..  Two 
important  treaties  were  formed  with  the  Indians^  one  with  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  the  other  with  the  Great  and  Little  Osages. 
If  I  am  usked)  whether  the  ancient  inhabitants  are  more 
Contented^  or  happy,  under  the  new  order  of  things,  or  have  rea- 
son to  be  so,  I  should  consider  the  question  a  difficult  one,  and 
answer  it  with  hesitation.  It  is  not  easy  to  know  the  secret 
sentiments  of  men,  and  happiness  is  a  relative  term.  It  is  truo) 
I  have  heard  murmurings  against  the  present  government)  and 
something  like  sorrowing  after  that  of  Spain,  which  I  rather  at' 
tributed  to  momentary  chagrin,  than  to  real  and  sincere  senti- 
ment; besides,  this  generally  proceeds- Irom  those  who  were 
wont  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  favor.  Vet  I  have  not  observ- 
ed those  signs  which  unequivocally  mark  a  suffering  and  unhap- 
py people.  The  principal  source  of  uneasiness  arises  from  the 
difficulties  of  settling  the  land  claimed  by  the  commissioners  on 
the  part  of  the  United  States.  The  principal  inhabitants  have 
lost  much  of  that  influence  which  they  formerly  possessed,  and 
are  superseded  in  trade  and  in  lucrative  occupations  by  stran*' 
gers;  their  claims  therefore  constitute  their  chief  depend-ince. 
The  subject  of  those  claims  embraces  such  a  variety  of  topicSy 
th^t  it  is  not  possible  to  give  any  correct  idea  of  them  in  this 
cursory  view.  It  is  a  subject  on  which  the  claimants  are  feel- 
ingly alive.  This  anxiety  is  a  tacit  compliment  to  our  govern- 
ment, for  under  the  former,  their  claims  would  be  scarcely  worth 
attention.  The  general  complaint  is,  the  want  of  sufficient  liberal- 
ity in  determining  on  the  claims.  There  is  perhaps  too  great  ^ 
disposition  to  lean  against  the  larger  concessions,  some  of  which 
ftre  certainly  very  great,  but  when  we  consider  the  trifling  value 
*  of  lands  under  the  Spanish  goveriiment,  there  will  appear  less 
reason  for  this  prepossession  against  them.  For  many  reasons^ 
it  would  not  be  to  the  honor  of  the  United  States,  that  too 
much  strictness  should  be  requirsd  in  the  proof,  or  formalities 


P 


*  The  territory  of  Orleans  has  now  become  the  *'  atate  of  Louisiana'* 
and  the  «•  territory  of  Lvuitiana*'  has  been  changed  to  the  ♦•territory  of 
the  ]Vlis^oHr^.< 


144 


VIEWS  OP  LOUISIANA. 


^  title,  particularly  of  a  people  who  came  into  their  power  uritb- 
out  any  purticipution  on  their  part,  and  without  hnving  beet? 
con'^ulted.  Six  years  have  passed  away  without  the  final  adjust- 
ment of  the  claims,  and  even  those  that  have  been  decided  upon^ 
will  ^ive  rise  to  lawsuits ;  it  is  probable  there  will  be  as  copious 
a  harvest  of  these  as  ever  was  furnished  by  any  of  the  states. 

The  lower  class  have  never  been  in  the  habit  of  thinking  be- 
yond what  immediately  concern  themselves;  they  cannot  there- 
fore, be  expected  to  foresee  political  consequences.  They  were 
formerly  under  a  kind  of  dependence,  or  rather  vassalla}]:e,  to  the 
great  men  of  villages,  to  whom  they  looked  up  for  their  support 
and  protection.  Had  they  been  more  accustomed  to  think  it 
possible,  that  by  industry  it  was  in  their  power  to  become  rich, 
and  independent  also,  the  change  would  have  been  instantly  felt 
in  their  prosperity.  Bui.  they  possess  a  certain  indifference  and 
apathy,  which  cannot  be  changed  till  the  present  generation  shall 
pass  away.  Tlicy  are  of  late  observed  to  become  fond  6f  intoxicat- 
ing liquors.  Th^re  is  a  middle  class,  whose  claims  or  pos^^es- 
sions  were  not  extensive,  but  sure,  and  from  the  increased  value 
of  their  property,  have  obtained  since  the  change  of  government) 
a  handsome  competence.  They,  upon  the  whole,  are  well  satis- 
fied ;  I  have  heard  many  of  them  express  their  approbation  of  the 
American  government,  in  the  warmest  terms.  They  feel  and 
speak  like  freemen,  and  are  net  slow  in  declaring,  that  formerly 
the  field  of  enter'>rise  was  occupied  by  the  monopolies  of  a  feW) 
and  it  is  now  open  to  every  industrious  citizen. 

There  are  some  things  in  the  administration  of  justice,  which 
they  do  not  yet  perfectly  comprehend ;  the  trial  by  jury,  and  the 
multifarious  forms  of  our  jurisprudence.  They  had  not  been 
adcustomed  to  distinguish  between  the  slow  and  cautious  ad- 
vances of  ev^n-handed  justice  i  and  the  despatch  of  arbitrary  pow- 
•r.*  In  their  simple  state  qf  society,  when  the  subjects  of  liti^-a- 
tion  were  not  of  great  value,  the  administration  of  justice  might 
Ue  speedy  alid  simple ;  but  they  ought  to  be  awnre,  that  when  a 


•  Some  of  the  more  important  laWstiits,  hdWever,  where  more  exten- 
sive bribery  could  be  carried  on,  are  known  to  have  slept  for  fifteen 


ANClENt  iNrtADlt  ANTS,  &c.-^teOOK  II. 


iH 


society  becomes  extensive,  and  its  occupations,  relationa  and  in* 
terests,  more  numerous,  people  less  acquainted  with  each  othetf 
the  laws  nust  be  more  complex.  The  trial  by  jury,  is  foreign 
to  the  customs  and  manners  of  their  ancestors ;  it  is  therefore 
not  to  be  expected  that  they  should  at  once  comprehend  its  util- 
ity and  importance; 

'  The  chief  advantaged  whidh  adcrU^d  from  the  change  of  go- 
vemment,  may  be  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  The  inhabitants 
derived  a  security  from  the  Indians  i  a  ihore  ettensive  field) 
and  a  greater  reward  was  offered  to  Industry  and  enterprise} 
specie  became  more  abundant*  and  merchandise  cheaper.-^ 
Landed  property  was  greatly  enhanced  in  value.  In  opposition, 
it  may  be  said,  that  formerly  they  were  more  content,  had  less 
anxiety ;  there  was  more  cordiality  and  friendship,  living  in  the 
utmost  harmony,  with  scarcely  any  clashihg  interests.  This  per- 
haps, is  not  unlike  the  notions  of  old  people,  who  believe  that  in 
their  early  days  every  thing  was  more  happily  ordered. 

The  idea  of  their  becoming  extinct,  by  dissolving  before  a 
people  of  a  different  race,  anri  of  losing  their  moeura  cherieaf 
might  excite  unhappy  S'^nsatiuns.  Already  the  principal  vil- 
lages look  like  the  towns  of  the  Americans.  Are  not  the  cus- 
toms and  manners  of  our  fathers,  and  of  our  own  youth,  deal' 
to  us  all  ?  Would  it  not  fill  our  hearts  with  bitterness,  to  se« 
them  vanish  as  a  dream  ?  Sentiments  like  these,  doubtless, 
sometimes  steal  into  their  hearts.  They  awake,  and  their  moms 
has  disappeared. 

But  is  it  likely  that  this  state  of  socikity  could  have  beeh  of 
long  continuance  I  The  policy  which  had  been  commenced  of 
encouraging  American  settlers,  would  by  this  time  have  over- 
whelmed them  with  a  torrent  of  emigration.  Isolated  as  they 
were,  they  could  not  have  withstood  this  accuniulating  wave  of 
population.  Had  they  b^^.en  transferred  to  France,  they  would 
have  suffered  from  exactions  and  conscriptions ;  had  they  re- 
mained attached  to  Spain,  Nvhat  miseries  might  not  have  assail- 
ed them  from  the  convulsec  state  of  the  Spanish  monarchy  !— 
And  is  it  nothing  to  exchanf  ,e  the  name  of  colonists,  Creoles,  for 
that  of  AMERICANS,  for  tha.  of  a  citizen  of  an  independent  state, 
where  they  can  aspire  to  the  highest  employments  and  honors  I 

t 


M» 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


T^ve  ftre  «oid«i  who  cioi  feel  wlai  it  U  to  be  exalte4  U^^tbe  di|^ 
DUy  pf  freemen ;  to  the  Uum  tfid  igooUe  rmmI  wluch  Mnnot  up^ 
preciMtc  thie  bleniing,  my  wriiioge  ivr«  npt  uddreseed'  I/yuisianir 
•IM*  you  huve  now  become  truly  AnerictAa;  never  will  yuii 
agtiin  bo  tnmefurred  from  one  netion  to  another}  ir  %ov  ask 

BVBR  SOLD  AOAIM,  IT  WILL  IB  VOft  BLOOO. 

At  the  eMiQe  timoi  lai  ut  ullowt  tor  thoM  emotions  whiob  must 
ngturelly  be  fek.  Like  two  strenma  thet  0ow  to  ei^b  qtber  from 
remote  tmd  distant  climes,  although  at  langth,  ineludeil  in  the 
flame  channcK  it  is  not  all  at  once  thut  they  will  unUt  iknt  eoo^ 
tributaiy  watersi  anU  mingle  int^  on#. 


CHAPrER  VII. 


LEAS  MINBS  III  THB  DISTBieT  OV  ST.  «BNBVIBTII*^MOPB  OF 

MiNiMO— f^ovcB*  See. 

THE  different  mines,  or  digging*^  as  they  are  commonly 
called,  are  scattered  over  the  greater  part  of  this  district.  It  is 
nut  known  with  certainty,  to  what  distance  the  mineral  extends 
west  and  sotith,  or  towards  the  Mississippi.*  The  Mine  It  Bur- 
ton, about  forty  mlies  west  of  St.  Cenevlevc,  may  be  considered 
the  centre  of  those  which  are  prcfttubly  worked. 

These  nunes  have  been  known  for  a  great  many  years;  for 
tlie  discovery  would  be  made,  as  soon  as  the  country  could  be 
traversed;  the  ore  being  visibk  in  the  ravines  washed  by 
Tains,  and  in  the  beds  of  rivulets.  The  first  diggings  were  made 
by  a  man  of  the  name  of  Renault,  and  so  extensively,  tliat  tbe 
present  are  only  following  up  the  old  one.f 

*  On  the  Osage  rWer,  and  in  the  country  watered  by  White  river,  I 
am  informed  by  huntew,  that  lead  ore  ii  Amnd  in  surprising  quantl« 
ties,  even  en  the  sui4kee  of  the  ground. 

f  See  Abby  Baynal— **  To  give  the  greater  wciglit  to  this  false  re* 
port,  which  had  already  n^ained  sc  "nuch  credit,  a  number  of  miners 
tvf  re  nent  over  to  work  these  mines,  which  were  imagined  so  valuable, 
with  a  body  of  troops  to  defend  them.*^ 


USAO  MINRt,  M^-BOOK  If. 


Mr 


Th«  biTAoot  Mi»9is»ippt  Companft  w«t  founded  piiacapKl^ 
upon  ttie  mtppoMd  w«tikiif  in  minemlf  of  Um  mora  |ir«clu«i 
kindit  b  LoouMmtt  ciid  it  «m  nccesMrf  t»  do  MMcthiiigt » 
giro  it  an  iip(>earMioe  of  ■erioUMieit.  Renault  ituM  t\mrth^% 
•em,  it  is  Mid,  with  Ste  hundrad  men  to  icttrcli  for  minende.  TMI 
number  and  great  extent  of  these  diggings  attest  the  aasMiiitl^ 
•C  ids  researches.  Perhaps,  Renault  not  being  able  to  tnd  goldi 
or  stiver  ore,  sudicient  to  rewart.  his  lubof ,  turned  Ms  attention 
to  smelt^ing  lead }  and  there  is  reason  to  believ«  Ihol  tovy  greil 
quanuties  were  made. 

But  after  the  fiiilure  of  the  compnny  bttfiife  iiientton«(l,  ft 
does  not  appear  that  the  lead  mines  were  much  attended  to;  not 
eren  after  the  crowing  of  the  French  settlements  to  the  West* 
em  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  establishment  of  St.  Oene» 
vieyc.  The  load  made  before  the  change  of  governmehtt  wuh 
not  a  tenth  of  what  is  smelted  now,  aMd  the  tahie  scarcely  a  third. 
The  obieot  of  this  ▼tew,  is  to  give  some  account  of  the  dif- 
ferent mines,  the  manner  of  working  them,  their  pit>dtK«,  Ut,^ 
1.  Whal  is  called  a  dtorsvc^y,  bf  those  engaged  ht  workbtg 
the  mine^  is,  when  any  one  happeni  upon  an  extetisire  body  of 
ore.  This  is  made,  by  digging  sof«ral  heffes  or  pifl,  ftvt  or  tik 
feet  deop,  iii  some  spovsupposid  to  contain  otPe,  and  if  a  emiihldw 
rablo  quantity  is  at  once  found,  the  place  Is  called  a  «Hseotery ;  bat 
if  only  a  few  pounds,  it  is  abandoned,  lut  the  tttt  Is,  that  ther* 
are  few  placee,  throughout  the  mine  traet,  in  which  such  disob^ 
series  cannot  be  made,  though  perhaps,  With  diffVrem  degreefe 
of  labor,    tterend  are  mude  evory  season,  and  each  cantlnuek 
for  a  time  in  rogue,  and  the  miners  flock  to  it  from  all  the  others, 
until  the  report  aprcade  Of  tho  discovery  Of  some  new  spot, 
where  tho  ore  is  found  in  still  greatsr  abundance,  and  procured 
with  more  ease ;  to  this  pUce  they  are  again  attracted    A  dinb- 
•trtf  it  at  lei^h  ttxed  upon,  widch  obtdins  the  prcfereneo 
througltout  the  rest  of  the  season.  A  discovery  is  sometimes 
ptti>lished  when  there  Is  not  much  to  warrant  it,  but  the  number 
of  |)ersons  drawn  to  the  place,  make  one  in  I'ealhy 

S.  The  ore  is  most  commonly  found  in  the  slopes,  near  tivu* 
lets,  in  a  clay  of  a  deep  rod  color  {  fre<piently  but  a  few  feet  from 
the  aurface  of  the  ground,  and  in  huge  mntses,  off  soroetimet  k 


ua 


VIEWS  or  LOtnSIANA. 


thousand  and  even  two  thousiind  Ibs^  biit  most  usually  in  lumps 
from  one  to  fifty  lbs.  weight.  The  rock  which  is  either  a  primi* 
tive  limestone,  or  a  kind  of  sandstone,  is  struck  at  the  depth  of 
eight  or  ten  feet.  Various  kinds  of  clay  are  often  found  in  these 
IMts,  and  amongst  some  other  substances,  the  blende  ore  of  zinc 
has  been  discovered.  The  ore  contains  a  considerable  propor- 
tion of  sulphur,  arsenic,  and  it  is  believed,  of  silver ;  though  in 
respect  to  the  last,  it  has  not  been  sufficiently  tested  by  experi- 
inents,  to  know  whether  the  proportion  would  repay  the  trouble 
imd  expense  of  separating  it.  It  is  highly  probable  that  the  ore 
of  some  of  the  n^ines,  may  yield  it  sufficiently-  The  ore  of  the 
]VIaraiuek,  which, )  ain  informed,  has  been  partially  essayed,  gave 
the  most  flj^ttpring  result.  Aboye  the  rqck,  the  ore  is  found 
^n  enormous  masses,  in  strata,  apparently  horizontal,  and  often 
two  feet  thick,  ip4  several  of  these  are  passed  before  the  rock 
IPirrests  the  progress  of  the  niiner.  I  have  seen  pits  ten  or  twelve 
feet  deep  wh^re  the  strata  of  ore  had  only  been  dug  thr'^igh, 
the  digger  intending  to  strike  the  rock  before  he  atten-^ted  to. 
Iindern)iqe;  perhaps,  gratifying  his  vanity  with  the  p!>*4ising  con- 
templation of  the  shining  niineral,  his  riches.  In  the  rqck  there 
appears  tp  be  no  regular  yeiqs;  the  ore  occupies  the  accidental 
^s:)ur^^  a^  i^  the  o^se  generally  in  lead  nvbes-  {jeads,  (or  loads) 
fire  the  ^mailer  j^ssures  thatconnept  with  the  larger,  wh^ch  are 
(Called  hy  the  n^iacrs,  cqvet.  The  ore  is  what  is  called  potter's 
pre,  or  galena,  and  has  a  broad  shining  grain ;  but  there  is  also, 
what  is  called  grfiyel  ore,  from  being  found  in  small  pieces  in 
gravel;  ^nd  that  kind  qf  ore  called 7?oa'«,  being  forced  in  large 
Irregular,  but  unconnected  masses,  The  first  kind  is  the  most 
to  be  depended  on }  the  uncertainty  pf  the  floats,  and  the  trouble 
of  smelting  the  grave)  ore,  render  both  of  less  consequence.*— 
Xhe  pptter's  ore,  or  galena,  has  always  adhering  to  it,  a  sparry 
patter,  M^hiqh  thp  n^iners  call  tijf,  and  which  requires  to  be  se- 
parated \yith  small  picks  made  for  that  purpose :  this  operatios 
is  called  gleaning  the  pre.  Th^  Qoats  have  no  tiif,  and  are  th^ 
inost  easily  s|nelted> 

3.  X he  ipode  of  working  the  mines  is  exceedingly  simple. 
^The  word  diggings^  by  whic^ ,  they  are  known,  very  well  desig* 
'p^tes  the  fipp^aranpe  pf  the^?  plape^i  pits,  and  heaps  pf  clay 


t&AD  MINES,  &c.— BOOK  U. 


4» 


thrvtm  out  of  them,  covering  sometimes  fifty  «creB  or  more,—- 
With  two  or  three  exceptions}  there  is  scarcely ,  any  place 
which  might  be  termed  mining.  .  There  is  but  one  sh^, 
which  is  at  the  Mme  i  Burton,  and  sunk  by  Moses  Austin.  The 
miners  usually  work  them  upon  their  own  at^Sbunt*  and  dispose 
of  their  ore  to  the  smelters:  there  are  some,  however,  who  hirf 
hands  by  the  month,  or  employ  sUves.  But,  experience  has 
shewn  that  it  is  best  for  the  interests  of  both  the  digger  and 
the  smelter  to  pursue  the  first  mode;  from  the  chance  to  th» 
one  of  fidling  upon  a  good  body  of  ore,  and  to  the  other  of  the 
general  uncertainty ;  the  keeping  a  number  of  persons  in  con- 
stant pay  for  a  length  of  time  before  he  would  be  remunerated 
by  a  profitable  discovery.  If  mining  were  carried  on  in  a  proper 
manner,  the  case  would  be  different ;  the  profits  might  then  be 
.  susceptible  of  calculation,  but  this  scratching  the  surface  of  tho 
earth  cannot  be  attended  with  certainty.  To  find  a  large  body  of 
ore,  so  ne^r  the  surface,  although  not.unfrequent,  yet  cannot  be 
depended  upon;  it  is  little  better  thyan  a  lottery.  The  miners 
have  a  variety  of  rules  amongst  themselves,  to  prevent  disputes 
in  diggings.  Each  one  takes  a  pole,  and  measures  off  twelve 
.feet  in  eyery  direction  from  the  edge;  the  pits  seldom  exceed 
eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter.  He  is  not  permitted  to  undermine 
farther  than  his  twelve  feet,  but  must  dig  a  new  pit  if  the  ground 
be  not  occupied.  The  only  instruments  are  a  pick,  wooden  sho- 
vel, and  a  sledge  hammer,  to  break  rocks.  The  ore  delivered 
at  the  pit,  sells  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  dollars  per  thousand 
lbs.  A  digger  will  somedmes  raise  two  thousiuid  in  one  day,  but 
notwithstanding,  these  people  do  not  grow  rich  faster  than  their 
neighbours.  What  is  easily  eai'ned  is  carelessly  spent;  and  be- 
sides, it  often  happens  that  the  miner  w^U  work  for  months  with- 
out making  a  cent,  before  he  has  the  luck  of  lighting  on  this 
treasure.  It  sometimes  happens  that  he  will  quit  in  despair,  a 
pit  at  which  he  has  been  laboring  for  months,  while  another 
-)eaps  in,  and  after  a  few  hours  work,  falls  upon  a  body  of  ore  that 
would  have  rewarded  the  labors  of  the  first.  The  appearance 
of  ore  in  a  pit  which  has  been  the  work  of  a  few  days,  is  fre- 
quently such  as  to  enable  him  to  sell  it  for  four  or  five  hundred 
dollars.  This  kind  of  gaining,  for  it  scarcely  deserves  any  othep 


tm 


views  ot  LOimtAt^At 


mttktt ^ftfkrilM ttt s^t industry  and  sailfefactfiiti  In  Oic  mtoerti 
Th«  cdHMuM  Mretth  of  exfiecttttiMi  in  whith  tHe  mind  i»  kept, 
Ijlveft  a  vest  tb  theif  Ittiors. 

-4.  Tfa«^af«l«M  iAOd«  <]f  stntUiflfi:  in  wtt  pMVttfe  tlie  grtat  t- 
%uiK)«tic««rihe«ii(«i  Theft  ift  but  One  regular  ftirtKttie,  t&)c  rcR 
ii^e  of  a  tctnpoimry  «iid  ftlmple  tonatrootioA.  The  inoM  comtDon 
tre  built  on  ^iho  declivity  ^  some  Mli,  itith  stonee^  opeti  at  the 
tots  and  trith  fth  M«h  beittw.    thFe«  large  togs  about  Ibur  feet 
wide,  so  «b  to  fli  the  farnaise^  t^  rolled  ifi,  MoaUer  pieeev  of  vrood 
^oed  round)  and  the  ore  then  heaped  up  In  letige  lumps ;  fii^ 
is  Bet  to  it  in  the  evenings  and  by  the  next  mottling  there  will 
be  a  wkflkcient  t{uantlty  of  the  melted  lead  in  the  little  reaervoilr 
Of  hole,  scravehed  in  the  earth  before  the  trch,  to  commente  the 
vperjiHion  of  pouring  it  into  moulds  to  form  pigs.    There  «ro 
usually  severel  of  theee  furnaces  joined  together.  About  sis  thou* 
sand  lbs.  of  oi«  are  put  into  eaich,Bnd  the  ^rst  smelting  produces 
ifOper  eent>  besideB  leating  e  quantity  of  scorl  or  scorched  ore. 
The  aBhe«)  which  contain  particles  of  ore  and  scori,  are  wash- 
M,  and  smelted  in  a  furnace  of  a  different  construction^  and  often 
y:cM  twenry<>fiv«  or  thirty  per  cent  more.    The  ore  smelted  in 
this  ru<}*^  Way,  ^.uay  be  safely  eoni^ered  as  yielding  seventy^fito 
per  cent.    There  remains  e  dark  green  aubstentsc  called  slag, 
which  on  late  examinaUon,  is  thought  still  to  retain  a  proporti^ 
of  lead  worth  pursuinc^.    There  is  no  process  of  pounding  or 
washing,  except  at  the  air  furnace.  The  three  modes  of  smelt- 
ing, to  wit,  the  9fienjumatti  the  nth/umttce,  and  the  ur  furnace, 
(belonging  to  Mr.  Austin*)  hate  all  been  introduced  unce  the 
Americans  took  possession  of  the  country.    The  Creoles  never 
smelted  any  other  way  than  by  throwing  the  lead  on  log  heaps. 
Each  of  the  diggings  hap  its  smelting  furnace,  and  the  Ore  is 
■melted  on  the  spot.    The  business  of  smelting  is  considered 
unhealthy,  but  that  of  mining  remarkably  the  reverse.  This  un- 
healthiness  arises  fhim  the  fumes  of  the  furnace,  m  which  there 
are  quantities  of  arsenic  and  sulphur.   Animals  rused  about  the 
furnace  are  frequently  poisoned,  by  licking  the  ore,  or  even  the 
•tones.    Dogs  and  Cats,  and  even  puultryi  are  se^n  to  &11  down 
suddenly  and  die. 


L^D  14IKRS.  8M.-rMQR  H. 


Ul 


8»n»g  takeo  thit  fMtral  view,  of  xht  minmi  tkeir  ttroiUlfi«, 
Sio.  I  shAll  procA^BU  to  detcrib*  ihe  differcot  diggbtgtit  more  mio* 
tii«lir.  i  have  e)tewher«  obMnred)  tbat  tbejr  are  scattered  over 
a  tmct  of  couatry  about  aixtjr  miles  in  length  and  twenty^five  in 
breadth}  many  of  those  in  vogue  a  few  years  ago,  are  now  aban« 
doned*  for  new  dtscoveiies.  Tbe  appeiM^ance  of  the  diggmga 
which  I  have  before  partly  described,  is  lil^e  that  of  small  vUla^ 
ges,  consisting  of  a  collection  of  little  cabins  or  huts.  The  (Ks» 
tande  from  Mine  la  Mottc,  to  the  Riohwood  mines,  the  one  on 
the  Sl  Francis,  and  the  other  near  the  Maramek,  is  about  sixty 
miles;  and  from  Fourche  CfMirtois,  west  of  the  Mine  i  Burtoct 
(which  I  have  considered  as  the  centre)  to  the  mines  nearest  the 
Miausum>i,  is  about  twenty-five  miles.  There  ia  no  doid>t  but 
thai  mines  equally  good  as  any  that  are  wrought  may  be  found 
out  of  this  tract  in  every  direction;  even  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  Mississippi.  Not  more  than  four  miles  from  ttiat  river,  be- 
tween col.  Hammond's  farm  and  Herculaneum,  I  picked  up  in 
the  road,  a  large  lump  of  ore,  which  had  been  washed  out  by 
run  a  short  tii)»e  befipre. 


UIVM  A  «UItTOH| 

Is  situated  on  a  handsome  stream*  a  branch  of  Qlg  river,  and 
large  enough  to  turn  a  mill  the  whole  year.  The  village,  which 
is  much  superior  to  those  whi^h  are  formed  near  the  diggings, 
is  built  on  either  side  of  it.  The  diggings  t- ytend  around  it  iix 
every  direction,  but  the  principal,  which  are  called  the  Citadel 
I^ig^ingSf  are  immediately  west,  on  a  high  prairie.  They  occu- 
py about  two  hundred  acres.  The  surface  of  the  ground  haa 
been  tolerably  well  searched ;  and  very  great  quantities  of  U»df 
from  the  0r9t  discovery  pf  this  place  to  the  present  tim^,  have 
been  made :  it  will  now  be  necessary  to  sink  into  the  bowels  of 
the  earth  before  much  more  c{in  be  done :  this  place  has  been 
nearly  ^Lbandoned  by  the  common  diggers.  A  ^haft,  and  the  firs( 
known  in  this  country,  has  been  sunk  by  Mr.  Austin,  on  a  part 
which  falls  within  his  concession.  It  is  about  eighty  feet  in  deptb,t 
and  drifts,  in  various  directions,  extend  a  considerable  distance. 
Twenty  handS)  might  work  here  at  present  to  advantage,  and 


153 


VIEWS  OF  LOUI8U17A.    ': 


with  sure  prospect  of  profits.  They  aro  not  yet  incommoded  bf 
the  intrusion  of  the  water*  owing  to  the  height  of  their  situationi 
/The  situation  of  this  village  is  pleasant,  there  are  some  bwd* 
some  dwellings;  the  inhabitants,  about  twenty  families,  turn 
their  attention  to  agriculture.  The  surrounding  country,  al« 
though  broken  in  many  parts,  yei  affords  a  great  deal  of  fine 
landx  the  soil,  as  is  general  throughout  the  mine  tract,  is  of  a 
deep  red,  and  supposed  to  be  principally  produced  by  the  de- 
compoution  of  pyrites,  which  are  known  to  be  a  manure.  Col< 
Perry  shewed  me  a  field  in  which  wheat  had  been  sown  for 
twelve  successive  years,  and  no  apparent  diminution  in  the  proA 
duce. 

,u  ^yew  Diggings,  about  two  miles  east  of  the  Mine  i  Burton  $ 
they  were  opened  about  the  year  1 806 :  and  from  the  fame  which 
they  acquired,  drew  the  miners  from  nearly  all  the  other  mines. 
It  is  thought,  that  during  the  year,  in  which  ihese  were  work* 
ed,  more  lead  was  made,  than  has  been  since,  in  any  one  year 
throughout  the  mines.  For  two  or  three  years  past,  until  the 
{Present  season,  these  diggings  were  almost  neglected.  They 
are  now  wrought  by  several  gentlemen  with  hired  hands  and 
slaves.  They  work  in  a  few  pits  that  had  already  been  sunk  to 
a  conuderable  depth,  but  had  been  relinquished  on  account  of 
the  water;  this  difficulty  has  been  obviated  by  machinery.-— 
There  are  several  farms  around  it. 

AUne  Arnault :  north  of  the  Mine  fl  Burton  about  six  milesj 
is  situated  upon  a  branch  of  the  Mineral  Fork,  a  large  creek.—- 
It  has  not  been  wrought,  for  many  years,  but  a  new  discovery 
made  within  a  short  distance  of  it,  is  very  flattering.  The  ad> 
jacent  country  consists  of  rugged  hills,  and  one  might  almost  fah.- 
cy  himself  in  the  Allegany  mountuns. 

Mltiott*8  Diggihgsy  Old  Mnes,  and  the  minea  of  Belle  Pon- 
taine,  may  be  considered  under  the  same  head :  in  half  a  day  one 
may  easily  visit  them  all.  Elliot's  diggings  have  been  worked 
for  several  years,  by  the  proprietors,  and  to  advantage.  The  old 
mines,  for  three  or  four  years  have  been  entirely  neglected :  the 
land  is  good,  and  there  is  a  little  settlement  of  twenty  or  thirty 
industrious  yeople  who  cultivate  it.  These  mines  are  from  six 
'to.  twelve  miles  from  the  Mine  i  Burton.  Hfown'ii  Diggings  are 


i^D  AfiKBS  kc^doOE  it 

l>oinmce  of  tie  diggbg,  —  fl^^r  ^^  "»*>i"«l  the  t^. 
«i««  of  U..  „.!..„  .?o.h*^rra"Cth;  r  '".'  '"  •*'  "^""^ 
«•  "r  oAe«.  They  „,  ritolwd  r.f  '"'"^  "  P~«'^'r 
river,  ".d.b.mtwLr-fir.^ulT'*"' •  "•»"  "'•'»''•  «f  BiJ  . 

"-«  course  of  .he  pre«„,  ^J'  "t"  P""  '^  ">«  "te..  in 
nule.  from  8t  Genevieve  J^I'.  '  "*  '"'"•'«' '»«»-«« 

■»*"  «  -Aw,  on  Bi»  ri       ..^  P-wlucUTe: 

"<1  wmewh..  further  fror'st'o"  ""? """  ■'^"''  ^HfStog^ 
*ave been e^pio^ed he„:«rL?::r ^   """^ ''""»»* 

-..  ..r^n.  whtct «ut  „.: t  'r  "•:  ?'•  "'^'"  ""^ «»  • 
■»id  ha.  been  con.unUy  wn,u»M  f  '  "  ""*  "^  ">«  •'""t* 
-iderah,.  ,u„,^  evInT^f pHft^'l''?^""" 
fhe  distance  is  about  thirtrtoit,.  r       .      *°^'  "^  mining.-. 

d'scoveries.  There  a*e  .i,„  „"     T      '■■•  <^<'noi,,  are  ne* 
TheBigriTefrZ.r  ''*""'^'«"»«te.     " 

"ver  i.  long,  bu,  extremeTytold  T^*^ '  t  *^'  '^^^    % 
of  two  hnnd«d  miles,  from^s^  ' '  ^  ""^'"y""'*!*  .hon 
-If  int.  the  Ma«m.k,  aTd  1^71         ':""*  *'  '""""e"  it- 
»i<e.  in  periogues.    The«  a7e«e       T  ""-*  »' ""K 
>•»  neighborhood,  both  bott"mrd  J^l  "7  '^'"  '"*"'  '""O  ^ 
nerall^  .  thing  somewhat  uT«,„  j  r^"""'    **'  ™"«  "^^  f^ 
*dap«d  .o  agHcuKu,*.  I^o  "11"  "T ""  """'""•  »  "' * 
•«fed,  possessing  in  grerahtrr'      J^  "•'^  Ple>.tifu%  *.. 
W»s  and  ri,„le,^^     *""'  '*"*'''»«  «V  »•«  deli. htfol  i^ 

'■  ^ifr  4.:.  J  .^  ^ 

■.■•••■.        Xf  '  ' 


lU 


VIEWS  OF  LOmSIANA. 


"It  is  not  «i«ie  than  three  uv  fdur  years  sineo  (he  seUlements 
thpoiigh  this  couAtry  oammeuced.  The  Spuniah  govcrnmt'nt 
h^»doni  enoobn^ctneitts  ta  Amcncun  settlers^  and  1  have  been 
informed  that  about  the  years  I  SOl-^»  emigration  was  begiu- 
l^g  u^fipw  ib  ntpidly :  it  is  probabk  that  in  a  few  years,  unless 
^strained  by  goteromcntv  there  would  hare  beeu  a  consiftera* 
ble  popuUtion;  The  {atiner^  i» the  mine  country,  will  hive  tlie 
advantage  of  a  ready  market  near  them  tor  their  produce,  and  in 
Mie  winter  seaaion,  when  their  farms  do  not  require  attention, 
Ihey  wiU.find  a  profitable  empksyment  in  transponing  the  leari 
tD  Id^f  Downs,  fbr  the  purpose  of.  being  siupped. 

The  ftttowing  i&  an  estimate  from  the  best  information  I  can 
^■obuMi,  ofi  the  annual  .produce  of  the  (Afferent  dunes,  and  of 
the  number  M  persotis  Engaged  ift  them;  witlKiut  counting 
sroefH^sy  blacksmiths,  and  oihets. 


shii. 


<■:  .(, 


I6a.  lead. 

Mine  d  Burton 50.000 

ili'ew  Diggings    .    .    .     .     .    .200.000 


*        jf  erry*8  Diggings 


Hiojii 


Siine  Liberty,  &c 


i 


Ult     t' 


j^Uiptt's  Digging!}  .... 

Mines  of  B?lle  Fontaine    .    . 

^.'j'.i-.r- .  .ZHiiii^aut 

Mine  i  I,A  Mott/Ci     .    v    .    . 

.    .  -       ...     \}m  naft  (i* 

^ourchc  Couitois    .   ^ 


lU  i  .^■y.\'t\' 


.)i:'t  ■:■ 


J  J. 


^jqe  i  Kobips  Sc 


ta. 


60000 

100.000 
300.000. 
600.000 

75.000 
100.000 

10.000 


handa. 
15 
40 

50. 


ni  x.T 


<  ill. 


dOQOQ 


15^5^000 


20 

5a 

70 

30 

40 

15 

30 


3^ 


bj 


j^om  this  some  estimate  may  be  formed,  of  the  piroduce  of 
thC'se  mines.  When  tliey  come  to  be  extensively  worked,  1  have 
not  u  doubt  b^t  tKat  they  will  oe  able  to  supply  the  United.  States, 
not  ptxly.  with  ti  sufficient  quantity  for  home  consumption,  but  al< 
30  with  an  immense  surplus  for  commerce. 

The  government  has  manifested  by  some  acts,  an  intention 
of  reserving  to  itself  the  mineral  tracts.    But  the  policy  of  this, 


LEAD  MIKB8,  8i|0.»400IL  II. 


m 


I  thinki  may  be  fairly  questioned.  It  is  just  und  wise,  that  mines 
of  gold  or  silver,  or  of  other  {tnicldlis  minerals,  whose  value  is 
conventional  or  imaginai  y«  should  be  reserved,  or  at  least  a  pro- 
portion of  thcin:  but  in -ores  of  ie«d  oc  ii>»n,  whose  nduc^flfwrds 
on  the  labor  bestowed  on  them,  and  which  are  besides  intrinsic 
pally  useful,  tltere  should  be  «o  interference  with  itxltyidQuls. 
In  this  countiry,  where  alnnost  every  tract,  and  fot*  a  great  extent^ 
contains  minea».lhe  reservation  would  be  almox  imptracticabld^ 
I  Ciui  no  mpre  apfv^ve  of  this  reservaticn,  than  1  dd  that  of 
aalittes.  I  think  they  are  contrary  to  correct  princifrfes  in  aujr 
government,  and  particularly  in  the  United  States.  A  just  go- 
vernment will  never  enter  into  competition,  either  in  trade  or 
manufacture,  with  individuals.  The  individtiid  in  such  cabes, 
has  to  contend  ag«^nst  fjparfui  odds.  There  is  a  liuleness  in  it 
degrading  to  the  magnaniroity  of  a  great  repuWior 

By  an  act  of  congress,  the  governor  of  then>rritory  rt  authcH 
rised  to  grant  least^ai)  nf  three  years,  to  persons  disictovi^nikg  lead 
mines,  or  salines. 

The  manners  of  the  workman  and  of  the  peraMMi  engaged 
in  the  mining  businesA,  have  been  represented  asbtiiiMRoiiafB 
the  extreme  I  am  toldi  that  a  few  years  ago,  there  ^aa  a  ool« 
lection  of  wqrthleaa  and  abandoned  ch«raiCturt»  and  thait  the  di^ 
fereni  minea  were  aeenea  of  broils  and  savage  ferocity }  but  the 
state  of  society,  has  greatly  altered  since  that  tinae*  There  bat 
been  some  very  avtrocioua  aicta  commitied  lately*  but  it  would  be 
un&ir  to  infer  frotn  these  the  general  cfaaratttrof  thoae  engag* 
ed  about  the  mines.  There  are  many  worthy  and  reputable 
men  engaged  in  this  business*  and  many  respectable  ftonine  ate 
scattered  thieugh  the  mine  country. 


^  -I'VIBWS  OF  LOUISUNA. 

v.i  c«A?TKij  via. 

■> 

|lSSOVA0Bfr-wAO|lICU).TUR»— ^AKVrACTV>^Bt— TBrADB, 

NATURE  has  been  moce  bountiful  to  this  territory^  than 
pcrhapa  to  any  part  of  tho  western  country.  It  possesses  aU 
the  advKntages  of  the  Atates  of  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Tennes- 
see, with  many  which  they  have  not.  Proximity  to  the  greaf 
mart  of  the  west,  will  enable  the  produce  of  this  territory  to 
be  the  jirst  in  arriving,  and  consequently  to  brings  the  highest* 
prices. 

The  agriculture  of  this  tenritory  will  bu  v-eiy  similar  to  that 
of  KentJck]^,  except,  that  south  of  the  35°  of  latitude,  cottcn 
raay  be  grown  to  advantage,  and  nearly  as  high  as  the  Missouri, 
for  home  consumption.  The  soil,  or  climate,  of  no  part  of  the 
United  States  i^  better  adapted  to  the  growth  of  wheat,  rye,  bar- 
ley,  and  every  species  of  (run.  Rice  and  indigo  may  be  culti- 
vated in  many  parts  of  it:  and  no  part  of  the  western  country 
surpasses  it  for  the  cult'ire  of  tobacco,  hemp,  and  flax.  Except 
the  fi)|^,  orange,  and  a  fc\v  other  truits,  every  species  common 
to  the  United  States  is  cultivated  to  advantage.  There  are  no 
ivherc  finer  apples,  peaches,  pears ,  cherries,  plums,  quinces, 
grapes,  luelom*,  8ro. 

The  manufactures  which  might  be  established  are  various 
and  important.  The  immense  quantity  and  cheapness  of  lead, 
naturally  point  put  this  country  as  the  proper  one  for  the  differ- 
ent manu£eictures  of  (hat  fnineral :  sheet  lead,  shot,  red  and  white 
lead,  &;c-  The  abundance  pf  iron  ore,  on  th^  Maramek,  St. 
Francis,  and  Qsage  rivers,  will  at  no  distant  period,  encourage 
^h?  establishment  ot  furnaces  and  forges.  The  different  manu- 
^ctures  cf  hemp,  requisite  for  the  lower  country,  may  be  here . 
carried  on  to  advantage.  There  is  a  great  abundance  of  the 
finest  tiiPber  for  boat  or  bhip  building ;  in  this  respect,  the  situi* 
ation  of  the  territory  Y^^  4?cidc4  advantages  over  the,  rest  of  tl^e 
irestern  cpuntry. 

The  staple  articles  of  trade,  are  at  present,  lead,  peltry,  cot- 
^p^  tobacco,  an^  l\\y  stpgk.  |t  will  not  be  iong  before  there  \vjj( 


BOUNDARIRg,  8URPACB.  fce^—BOOK  U. 


1ST 


b«  added  to  these,  the  manafacturet  of  lead,  hemp,  und  cotton* 
besides  the  raw  materials  themselves;  also,  iron,  salt-petre,  and 
coal,  wheat,  flour,  apples,  eider,  whiskey,  pickled  pork)  and 
^e/;  and  a  variety'  of  other  articles  of  less  importance. 


i<Vl}'> 


CfUFrER  IX. 


^7V47!c  qr  loirisuMi. 


30UMBARIBS— OBKBRAi:.  sua? ACS,  IcCa 


THE  state  of  Liouisiana  is  bounded  m  the  following  manner  | 
^'  beginnhig  at  the  iqnouth  of  the  river  Sabine,  thence  by  a  line  to 
Jbe  drawn  along  tbe  middle  of  said  river,  including  all  its  islandst 
to  the  thirty-second  ^.;gree  of  north  latitude,  thence  due  nortby 
to  the  pprthemmost  part  of  the  thirty-third  degree  of  north  lati« 
tude,  thence  along  the  said  parallel  of  latitude,  to  the  Mississip* 
pi ;"  by  the  accession  of  Weat  Florida,  the  state  i»  bounded  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Mississippi*  as  follows;  from  the  thirty-first  de* 
gree  of  north  latitude  pa  the  Miasissippi,  along  the  ssdd  parallel 
of  latitude,  to  the  eastern  branch  of  Pearl  river,  and  ^wn  Pearl 
river  to  its  mouth,  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Sabine.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  the  Missisuppi  territory, 
the  south  by,  the  ragged  coast  of  the '  gulph  of  Mexico,  and  on 
the  othc)r  sides  by  unoccupied  lands  of  the  United  States. 

.  I  refer  the  reader  to  Mr.  Darby's  table  for  an  estimate  of  its 
superficial  contents,  ^c.  Its  shape  i»  exceedingly  irregulary 
arising  from  the  unevenness  of  the  coaf t,,  and  from  the  line  on 
the  eastern  side  commencing  only  at  the  thirty  first  degree  of 
north  latitude.  Were  it  to  begin  at  the  thirty-third,  so  as  to  cor- 
respopd  with  the  line  on  the  westera  side,  the  state  would  be 
left  in  a  more  compact  and  definite  shape.  Something  haslseeii 
said  of  carrying  this  into  effect,  if  it  should  pieet  the  approbation 
of  thjB  pepple  of  tiie  Mississippi  territory.  Much  mightbe  said 
19  f4yor  qf  it(it  woHlt)  t^nd  to  lessen  th^  expense  of  state  gq* 


VIKWI  OP  LOUtlANA. 

vcrnment*  to  botk»  and  give  tb»t  right  to  the  MmiMippi  tern* 
tory  Moner  ttiua  couki  be  iroU  evpectod  without.  But  the  great 
obiectaooe,  mmI  indeed  thfsf  ft«ein  hIibom  iiisurmountablot  arieo 
from  the  difficulty  ofiubjecting  that  territory  to  the  canl  Uwt 
after  having  been  so  long  accu&lomed  to  a  different  Byttteni ;  and 
to  introduce  the  common  law  iutQ.  thu  atatC}  at  once,  would  be 
highly  impolitic*  if  practicable. 

With  retpect  to  the  turfoce  of  the  ttatcy  it  may  be  easily 
comprehended  under  three  general  descriptions: 

I.  The  tract  of  UpUnd— 

II.  The  Alluvia  and  Sunken  land»— 

III.  The  Prairies  or  Savannas— 

I.  The  tract  of  upland  constitutes  three-fifthi  of  the  whole 
state ;  all  that  part  of  Florida  above  Iberville^  which  has  been 
added  to  the  state,  is  of  this  description.  For  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles  from  the  Misrissippi  it  is  covered  with  heavy  timber^  prin- 
cipally oak,  poplafi  walnut*  the  magnolia  grandiflorat  aad  a 
great  variety  of  other  launils.  After  this,  we  find  with  little  va* 
riation)  open  pine  woods,  excepting  on  the  banks  of  the  streams, 
which  are  numerous  and  pleasant.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
Mississippi,  wt-st  of  the  alluvia  (which  are  generally  bounded 
by  the  Bayou  Masfon,  Bayou  Bocuf,  andtbe  Teche)  the  upland 
commences,  covered,  with  but  little  variation,  by  the  long  leaf- 
ed pine.  It  49  divided  to  the  S.  W.  by  the  avenue  of  Red 
river,  beyond  this,  it  resumes  its  original  appearance,  with 
little  interruption,  west  to  the  Sabine  t  but  in  advancing  to 
the  gulph  of  Mexico,  a  change  is  gradually  perceived.  Within 
thirty  miles  of  the  Opelousas  churah,  the  pine  woods  imper- 
ceptibly giv6  piace  to  groves  of  dwarf  oak  and  hickory,  with 
spots  of  ground  covered  only  with  grass;  these  groves  appear 
only  on  the  wuter  courses,  and  we  enter  the  boundless  [urturies 
of  Opelousas. 

II.  The  prairies  or  savannas,  and  Alluvia,  scarcely  constitute 
the  other  two-fifths  of  the  state.  Besides  those  on  the  Washita, 
and  a  few  of  no  ^reat  extent,  west  of  Black  river,  there  are 
none  of  any  consequence,  except  those  of  the  Opelousas  and 
Attakapas.  These  constitute  a  tract  of  nearly  eighty  miles  in 
length,  from  east  to  wettf  and  fifty  in  breadth.    The  prairies  of 


BOUNDARIBt»  SURFACB.  fcc.^BOOK  II. 


Iff 


OpetousM  have  a  waTkin  aurAMW*  though  no  where  rising  ime 
hiik;  thoie  of  the  A^tahaya  art  flut  and  leTeli  covered  with  a 
mere  luxuriant  and  a  eoarier  vegetation.  The  whole  couiurj 
Sa  chequered  by  the  woody  nargina  Of  atreamiiy  catted  bajroua,* 
though  different  from  the  refluent  wale#a  of  tho  rivet.  The 
pans  of  the  country  in  Eng^ndy  where  the  grounds  are  divide 
od  by  hedge  rowa*  might  acem  miniaturiBai  oC  the  bokd  dtaignt 
whicn  natwrc  has  diapbyed  io  luying  off  tiiia  tract.  The  fringca 
of  wood  on  the  borders  of  the  bayous  aeldom  exceed  a  half  male 
in  widtbt  and  conaist  of  live  oak*  magnoHa*  kc.  and  on  the  wcl 
parts,  of  cypress.  The  ritera  Teche  and  Vermillion,  haivc 
the  largest  tracts  of  timber^  bndf  and  are  consequently  the  best 
settled  purta.  of  the  pndries^  The  prairiea  will  he  found  in  tfao 
aggregaiey  the  lenst  valitable  of  the  public  donuda;  if  they  be 
surveyed  and  laid  off,  as  at  present  contemptatodf  it  wilf  be  hn^ 
possible  to  sell  them  for  more  than  a  trifle :  wkvn  would  parthaae 
a  tract  of  land  situated  perhaps  at  the  dutance  of  set  era!  milei 
from  wood  or  water?  The  fiict  ia*  that  the  greater  part  ia only 
fit  for  pasturage,  and  there  is  little  lihetiboodt-of  any  other  uao 
being  maiLe  of  it,  for  many  years  to  comoi  From  late  obscrvi^ 
tiona,  however^  it  is  probi^le,  that  in  time  trees  might  b?  cuItU 
Yated:  the  soil  is.  growing  richer  from  the  manure  left  by  the 
numerous  herda  of  cattle  which  continually  cover  it. 

III.  The  alluvion  lands  constitute  the  third  division^  Much 
erroneous  calculbtion  has  been  indulged  on*  this  head.  It  has 
been,  a  prevailing  opinion,  that  by  fitf  the  gfWiter  part  of  the 
state  ia  composed  of  thia  kind  of  land.  From  what  I  have  saic^ 
it  may  be  seen  that  it  does  net  constitute  more  than  the  fifth  of 
the  state:  but  of  thia> portion,  there  is  not  more  than  a  fomth 
winch. can  be  considered  irreclaimable.  When  I  say  irvtclaim* 
able,  1  do  not  mean:  to  convey  the  idea  of  any  {^sicalimposn* 
bilityt  but  the  great  dilRcirity  with  which  it  must  be  cS'eeted^ 
and  the  great  length  o£  time  which  must  dopse  befioire  it  can 
be  done.  1  am  well!  satisfied  that  there  is  much  less  ofithe  west' 


*  They  are  nataral  drains  of  the  waters  Locumulaitcd  by  the  rains  ie 
the  prairies  ponds  and  even  lakes  are  formed  in  places. by  th&  rainaf* 
This  arises  from  the  uaeven  surface  of  the  ground. 


160 


100    VIEWS  OF  LOUUIAISA. 


ern  tide  o(  the  Miuiuippi  rendered  vieleu  by  the  annual  itood il^ 
than  is  usually  stated.  Thu  obbcnration  has  t»oen  several  times 
repeaMd  in  diiferetot  parts  of  these  Views,  and  I  find  no  reason 
to  change  my  opinion.  There  is  certainly  much  sunken  and 
overflowed  land,  and  perhaps  not  to  be  reclaimed  without  im- 
mense labor,  and  between  the  Washita  and  the  Mississippi,  per^ 
haps  one-thiM  is  of  this  kind.  But  there  is  nothing  more  incor- 
rect tlian  the  general  and  vague  accounts  of  writers  on  this  sub- 
ject, who  state  thait  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi  is  annual- 
ly inundated  to  the  distance  of  thirty  of*  forty,  and  everi  tixty 
mile:  The  settlements  established  within  a  few  years  between 
the  Washita  and  the  Mississippi,  prove  the  error  of  the  opi- 
nion to  which  so  many  have  given  currency.  It  is  true  as 
a  genend  mlc,  that  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  is  the  highest 
part  of  the  allu^on  ground,  but  this  is  not  always  the  case ) 
the  banks  of  the  bayoux  and  of  the  lakes  are  as  high,  if  not 
higher.  On  many  of  the  bayoux  there  are  extensive  tracts  of  up- 
land, and  this  rarely  occurs  on  the  bank  of  the  river  itself  below 
the  Arkansas.  Wherever  these  are  to  be  found,  we  may  safely 
conclude  that  the  ground  is  but  little  subject  to  be  covered  by 
the  overflowing  of  the  waters.  The  road  from  Concordia,  (op« 
posite  the  town  of  Natchea]  to  the  upland  on  the  other  side  of 
Black  river,  is  but  seldom  rendered  imp!issible  for  travellers  on 
horseback.  I  consider  the  extent  of  the  lands  subject  to  be  in- 
undated  by  the  Mississippi,  on  the  eastern  side,  as  not  exceed- 
ing fifteen  r  Ilea,  until  we  .come  to  Black  river.  1.  From  the 
foregoing  outline  it  will  appear  that  the  alluvion  lands  are  chiefs 
If  on  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi,  (the  bottoms  on  the 
eastern  side  c>re  not  remarkable)  and  are  finest  along  this 
river  from  the  33*,  extending  back  to  the  distance  of  twenty 
miios,  but  suddenly  widening  on  the  approach  to  Red  river. 
a.  On  the  Red  river,  of  fM  average  width  of  ten  miles,  widening 
on  its  app^'oach  to  the  Mississippi.  3.  Below  Red  river  and  con- 
stituting the  weslem  t\ngle  of  the  Delu.  I  think  it  probable, 
th^ton  a  better  acquaint^xnce  these  tracts  will  be  found  to  contain 
by  far  the  most  valuable  |iorti«j»ns  of  the  public  domain ;  the  pro- 
|)ortion  of  sunken  lands,  rsduir.iable  only  with  great  difAeulty, 
J^  leas  than  the  proportion  of  unproductive  pine  woods,  w  of 


tfOUKDARIKS.  SunFACfi,  fc6.-£B00lC  tl. 


Ml 


phSai^  not  tutceptible  of  cultivatioD  from  th«  wanf  bl' wood  and 
water. 

In  order  to  give  the  readei^  a  more  iatisfactorj  view  of  the 
tnbjecti  I  will  enter  into  tome  detail  on  the  topography  of  di^ 
ferent  aectiona,  or  natural  ditiiiona* 

t 

1.  Section  qftke  9tate  between  Red  rhjer^  MUeU§\^^  end  tkf 
line  qfthe  38«  qfM  Lmt, 

Thia  embraces  an  exteusite  portion  bf  the  atate*  and  of  t 
character  in  many  reapecta  different  from  the  rest.  The  great* 
er  part  ia  of  an  uneven  aurfocet  in  plaeea  hiUyt  and  hitariably 
covered  with  the  long  leafed  pine.  The  loil,  we  may  naturall]^ 
auppiae  from  thia  growth,  to  be  poor,  if  not  barren.  But  I  havd 
been  informed  by  intelligent  persons,  that  it  ia  preferable  to  the 
pine  kmda  of  Georgia.  There  are  no  sand  hills,  and  etery  whem 
a  luxuriant  helrbage.  I  have  passed  over  some  parte  which  ard 
rocky,  but  in  general  wc  find  a  light  grey  colored  earth,  mixed 
with  a  considerablo  portion  of  sand.  It  is  supposed  that  Wheat 
might  be  grown  in  this  soil  to  advantage.  There  are  a  great  ma<* 
ny  beautiful  streama  of  clear  delightful  water,  upon  whose  bor* 
ders,  the  landa  are  rich  and  clothed  with  a  variety  of  trees^  th^ 
mi^Rolia  and  other  laurela,  al^rays  forming  the  grof^ter  propor^. 
tion.  Theso  strips  of  Und,  or  bottoms,  rarely  exceed  a  mile  ilk 
width.  On  the  roads  'oe(weei)  the  Washita  and  Red  Hver,  thera 
are  a  number  of  scattered  aettlers,  who  live  tolerably  #ell) 
the  adjacent  pine  wood  enabling  them  to  keep  large  herd!  of  cat* 
tie.   The  country  is  generally  healthful,  and  when  it  become* 
settled,  will  be  one  of  the  most  pleasant  in  the  state.  The  Wash* 
itst  Catahoulat  and  Little  river,  are  the  printipal  streams  by 
which  thb  tract  is  watered.  On  the  Washita  there  is  said  to  bil 
uplMidt  similar  to  that  of  tlte  Missouri,  and  which  is  well  suited 
to  the  raising  of  wheat.   The  country  abounds  with  streamsi 
^%hioh  afford*  mill  seicb^  out  it  is  feared  that  the  torrents  which 
tney  roll  along  after  heavf  rain,  would  sweep  aWay  ahy  wo^lS 
thiU  might  be  erected.    On  some  of  the  more  considentble 
orveka,  or  rivulets,  it  often  happens  that  the  whole  valley  it 
overflown.-  Their  ohannels  are  deep)  and  many  of  them  abound)>, 


ov  0^ 


m 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


ing  in  qvkkMndS)  but  their  beds*  are  usually  composed  of  gra-r 
Tcl  or  stone. 

Xhe  exc^pUQD  to  tHi9  general  description  craisists  in-  the 
tffaPl  )}etv(een  the  Washita  and  the  Mississippii  the  greater  part 
of  which  is  low  land.  BlacI^  river,  which  loses  its  name  at  the 
junction  of  the  Tensa^  Washila  and  Catahoula*  runs  through 
the  loTrer  part  of  this  tract.  The  lands  on  the  borders  of  this  riv- 
er,  are  too  low,  but  not  annually  subject  to  be  overflown.  There 
}iad  been  ^ttlers  for  several  years  on  its  hanks,  all  the  way  to 
t)\e  ^omh)  pfevioM^  to  ISUt  but  the  flood  of  that  year,  (one  of 
t^  X^Qftlt,  reinarltal^le  experitsnced  in  thU  country^  coiripeJIied 
^e  greater  part  of  them  to,  abandon  their  plantations.  The  lands 
b^tw^en  the  lUapld  river.  Red  river,  and  the  Missisnp]^  are 
gWO<>g*<  ^^®  lowest  in  the  alluvion  tract.  There  ate  some  hvkes ; 
that  ^  Coitp(k»di»  for  junstance,  connected,  with  the  three  rivers 
l^fof «;  inei^d^edt  by  bayoux  diverging  from  all  sides  On  some 
fif  ih^P  \^9lf9^^  the  land  is  sufficiently  high  to  admk  of  stttle-^ 
ineiMy.  T^o  greater  part  of  thia  alluvion  soil  is  tinged  with  red, 
frwn  thf  a/tli^turf  of  the  sediment  brought  down  Red  river, 
Uti^  tJlu^  9f  the  MiBsisslppi,  The  tract  cncleacf*  hy  the  Rvd  riv- 
er>  Afi(i^i^pp^  T^Q8||,and  a  long  narrow  lake  connected  with  the 
TeJWf^  lak^i^  G4le4  Ai^^rSfQBt  forms  the  county  o£  C^oncordia, 
vhipj^  \s  almeat  aai|ljin4i  Ihe  east  end  ofi  thia  ^ke  approaching 
IRit^  a  $BW  nAJ|l<}«  of  Ihe  NisMssippi.  Oppodte  this  tract,  on 
the  ^e^terQ  aH^  of  Bl9i{]|  rWer,  there  is  anotlier  of  nearly  equal 
Jbi^i;,  t^ut  w^icb  is  a  cornpleiQ  island,  formed  by  t|ie  river  just 
^^ntUffiif  d»  with  the^  bayou  S«Une,  and  the  Catahoula  kike  and 
rivev^  I^  this  tract»  Ihvre  «re  no  settlements ;  the  lands  are  ex- 
trtiQely  Ww  Tbe  laK€»  caHed  Catafonioucta,  situated  on^this 
^r^c(,  h,  laM  ^  bf^v»  soipf  high  land  on  its  borders.  The  Cata* 
il^QUU  )<i^e,  is  abont,  thirty  m^tea  m  length;  and  about  ux  mileft 
H\^*  If.  becomea  i^eaply  dry  in  autumn,  tend  at' that  season, 
^d  ei^rly  in  thf  spring,  the  ground  is  covered  with  fine  licrbagc, 
^4  i^  rcBCMTted  to  by  nmoeroua  herds,  of  cattle.  9esides  several 
imaUcr  ilre^ms,  tins  l^ke  rece Ives  the  Little  river,  a  itm  stream: 
iQi^ore  thin  two  hunched  iniles  in  length ;  it  is  dischargee^  into 
\Vaihita,,l)y  the  ^i^hqitli^  ^nttjfy  a»d  iota  Bed  Bivec  I9  bayou 
SftUoe. 


BOUNOARIBS,  8UUFACE,  Su}.— BOOK  U. 


m 


.-  The  Tensa,  which  enters  from  the  eastern  side,£Dnna,  whljf 
the  Washita  and  bayou  Long,  another  island  of  an  oval  shupo) 
and  about  fifty  mi)ea  in  circumference.  On  this  there  «re  n« 
settlers,  though  it  is  not  commonly  subject  to  be  overflown }  it 
is  a  level .pf  rich  soil;  in  181 1,  it  was  pretty  generally  covere4 
with  water  to  the  depth  of  about  one  foot.  Trifling  levees  wouli| 
secure  this  tract,  as  indeed  all  those  islands,  if  it  were  not  fo^ 
the  numerous,  bayous  of  a  smaller  size  which  every  where  inter* 
sect  the  country}  entirely  to  close  up  their  entrances,  would 
be  attended,  with  great  labor*  Immediately  above  tlm  islandi 
there  is  another  called  Sicilly  island,  a  greater  part  of  which,  i» 
rich  upland,  and  supports  a  considerable  settlement.  It  is  abou^ 
thirty  miles  in  circumference.  At  the  lower  end  of  SiciUy  island 
tlie  bayou  Tensa  spreads  into  a  lake  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
in  length,  and  nearly  parallel  with  the  Mississippi ;  at  one  place 
near  the  settlement  of  Palmyra,  it  approaches  within  twp  ot 
tliree  miles  of  the  Mississippi,  and  is  at  length  connected  with 
that  river,. it  is  supposed  somewhere  near  Stack  island,  and  form- 
ing one  of  its  out-lets.  Besides  the  Tensa  lake,  this  bayou  ibriiu| 
several  otliers,  of  which  lake  Providence  is  the  most  considera<» 
ble.  Their  banks  are  hi^h,  and  rarely,  if  ever,  subject  to  the  ef* 
fects  of  the  floods  of  the  Mississippi.  The  Tensa  lake  recieive|i 
two  very  considerable  streams;  the  nviere  aux  Boeufs,  and  the 
bayou  Masf  on :  both  are  supposed  to  hav^  their  sources  partly 
in  the  pine  woods,  between  the  Washita  vnd  the  Arkansas^awl 
partly  in  some  lakes,  formed  by  out-liets.frQm  the  Arkansas  andif 
Mississippi:  but  from  the  clearness  of  their  streams  it  is  prob*^ 
ble  that  they  receive  the  greater  part  of  their  waters  from  the. 
upland  firings  and  rivulets.  The  bayou  Masgon,  may  be  con*  ■ 
sidered  the  boundary  of  the  Mississippi  swamp,  ^d  seldom  re- 
cedes to  a  greater  distance  than  fifteen  mil<;s  iirom  the  river.  The  . 
land  between  it  and  the  riviere  aux  Boeufs  is  generally  high  prai<^ 
rie,  t^e  lower  part  rises  in  bluffs  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet  bigl(i.  There  - 
are  several  connecting  bayoux  between  it  and  the  bayou  Masfpn* 
The  strip  of  land,  perJiapQ  on  an  average  ten  or  fifteen  miles  ii^ 
width,  between  those  two  bayou  ^,  is  geiMrally  above  tJ^o  r^ach  of  . 
inundation.  Between  the  riviere  aux  Boeufs  and  th^  Waphi^,  the 
hnd  is  lowland  the  overflowing  of  either  riyer  is  sometiines 


t64 


VIEWS  OF  LOmSIANA, 


ready  to  pour  over  the  bank  uf  the  other.  On  a  slight  gknee^ 
this  coimtry,  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Washita,  nearly 
foiiir  hundred  miles  on  the  liTer,  and  generally  supposed  to  be 
annually  covered  with  water  to  the  depth  of  several  feet,  is  di» 
Tided  into  long  narrow  slips,  by  the  parallel  courses  of  the  Mis* 
fissippi,  bayou  Masfon,  riviere  aux  Boeufs,  and  the  Washita; 
ivith  Jhumerous  connecting  bayoux,  which  in  time,  will  be  as 
useful  as  artificial  canals,  and  insterspersed  with  lakes  whose 
tmnks  are  above,  the  reach  of  inundation;  During  the  flood  of 
1811,  two  Indians  who  had  set  off  from  fort  Adams,  arrived  at 
Sidlly  island,  bringing  with  them  8ever4  horses.  They  declare 
cd  that  they  had  to  swim  but  two  bayoux,  having  followed  the 
|idges  of  high  lan^.  ^ 

All  thpse  bayoux  are  deep,  and  at  all  seasons  affbrd  sufficient 
water  to  navigate  the  largest  barges.  Their  courses  are  geno« 
,  fally  c^rcoked,  and  narrow,  in  places  perhaps  choked  wiui  leg* 
Und  rafts.  The  Washita  as  high  up  as  the  33"  of  N.  lat.  is  seK 
dom  more  th'fui  forty  miles  from  the  Mississippi.  Two  roa^ 
liave  been  cut,  one  to  fort  Mira,  and  the  other  to  bayou  Berthe- 
femie,  tliirty  miles  above ;  they  pass  through  thick  cane  brakes, 
and  in  high  water,  it  is  necessary  to  swim  a  great  number  of 
|>ayouk,  apd  to  wade  through  places  overflown. 

I  am^  conscious  how  difficult  it  is  to  convey  any  idea  of  s^ 
^  country,  particularly  such  as  this,  without  a  map ;  1  do  not  know 
of  any  exUOnt,  which  I  can  recommend  to  the  reader:  that  of 
Lafon,  is  undoubtedly  the  best  yet  published,  but  from  my  own 
observation,  fOid  from  what  I  have  learned  from  others,  it  is  by 
no  means  to  be  relied  on.  It  was,  however,  the  best  that  could 
be  made  at  the  time  of  its  publication^  but  sinpe  then  the  coun*. 
try  has  become  much  better  known.  The  manuscript  map  of 
Mr.  Darby  is  greatly  superior,  the  greater  part  of  it  bebg  takcQ 
^m  lictual  survey. 

The  principal  settlements  ^re  those  of  Concordia,  Gatai 
(iDula,  and  Washita.  In  the  two  last,  the  settlers  cultivate  cotton^ 
but  in  the  pther,  their  principal  dependence  is  tn  the  rt>Hi)g  of 
stock  and  the  culture  of  Indian  com,  and  they  generally  live  poor, 
f^yiDjg;  but  few  pi  the  comforts  and  convetuences  of  Ufip, 


BOUNDAtlTBS,  StJRf  ACE  8u:.— fiOOK  n. 


165 


ikeq 


9.  The  alluvion  tract  of  Red  rtver'-^AvoyeUe-^Lond  around 
the  mouth  of  Red  river--^tchafalaya. 

The  alluvion  lands  of  Red  river  are  remarkably  distinguish- 
ed from  those  of  the  Mississippi}  by  their  deep  red  color,  arisingf 
OS  is  supposed  by  Dr.  Hunter,  from  the  decomposition  of  p/riteSf 
pr  a  mixture  of  some  metallic  substance.  The  lands  on  the 
Atchafalaya,  and  on  numerous  bayoux  at  present  fed  by  the  wa- 
ters of  the  Mississippi,  are  of  this  descripticn  <  the  sediment 
brought  down  by  Ked  river,  appears  to  predomuiate  through  a 
very  extensive  portion  of  the  alluvion  soil  west  of  the  Missis^ 
eippi. 

If  it  is  difficuli  to  give  an  idea  of  the  country  bordering  on 
the  Mississippi,  by  a  mere  description  in  words,  it  is  still  more 
80  with  respect  to  the  valley  of  Red  river.  Its  irregular  and  con« 
fused  shape,  <^  if  shape  it  oan  be  called,"  baffle  every  attempt 
to  compare  it  to  any  known  figure  in  mathematics  or  in  nature. 
This  irregularity  is  principally  caused  by  the  strange  and  ec- 
centric course  which  that  river  pursues.  Instead  of  flowing  in 
a  regular  channel,  it  divides  its  waters  into  a  hundred  streamsi 
separatiQg  and  again  uniting  so  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  trace 
the  principal  river.  Larg^  tracts  of  primitive  ground,  qr  up- 
land, in  the  ever  changing  course  of  this  river,  have  been  cut 
off  from  the  main  body,  stand  perfectly  disconnected  with  it)  and 
^rrounded  by  alluvion;  the  current  having  in  time  entirely 
v.orp  away  the  primitive  ground.  There  are  a  great  number  of 
bj»yo.ui^j,or  refluent  streams,  which  show  incontestable  proofs,  of 
Iiaving  bpep  at  different  periods,  the  beds  of  the  river.  It  is  to 
|>c  observe^,  t^^  on  the  N.  E.  side,  the  Red  river  is  almost  in- 
y<ir\ably  bounded  \>y  the  primitive  land,  and  the  irregularities 
just  iikentioned,  occur  chiefly  on  the  &  western  side :  from  this 
it  would  appear,  that  \H9  river,  like  the  Mississippi,  is  progress- 
ing in  its  general  course  e,aftward,  and  that  it  could  never  have 
been  much  further  in  that  direction  than  at  present.  Red  river* 
would  be  almost  as  bold  a  stream  as  the  Mississippi,  but  for  the 
great  diminution  of  its  waters  by  subdivision  and  the  forms- 
tion  of  lakes;  it  has  had  the  good  effect  of  rendering  the  lands 
in  its  vicinity  more  free  from  inundation,  than  those  of  the  Mi** 
Mssippi.  About  Iftt.  32*  40,  long.  96°  15,  Red  river  separates  iit* 


IM 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


to  two  branches,  wbich  unite  within  ten  miles  of  Natchi: 
tOGhes.  The  eastern  branch  retains  the  name  of  the  river,  is 
the  roost  considerabi'.,  but  obstructed  by  the  great  raft.  A  ba- 
you which  makes  out  on  the  east  side  of  this  branch,  spreads 
out  into  lake  Bestianeau,  and  afterwards  joins  the  mam  stream. 
The  western  branch  does  not  flow  in  a  Well  defined  channel, 
^tit  at  short  intervals,  spreads  out  into  lake  I^isaquie,  lake  Main 
doux,  nnd  lake  Long,  connected  ou  the  east  side1}y  bayou  Pierre^ 
(properly  a  continuation  of  the  W.  branch)  and  immediately  be- 
tote  the  junction  of  the  two  branches,  the  W.  branch,  by  a 
refluent  bayou,  contributes  with  the  streams  from  the  upknd 
in  forming  the  lake  Espagnol.*  The  is'and,  or  tract,  enclos- 
ed by  the  two  branches,  is  of  an  oval  form)  and  not  less  than 
three  hundred  miles  in  circumference;  a  considerable  part  is 
6ud  to  consist  of  low  sunken  lands,  but  there  must  doubt- 
less be  a  large  portion  of  a  superior  (juality.  Immediately 
below  the  village  of  Natchitoches,  the  river  agfdn  sepai'ates 
into  three  branches^  the  middle  one  being  the  principal  The 
eastern  is  called  Fausse  riviere,  (False  river)  and  is  connect- 
ed with  several  lakes  to  the  N.  E.  of  it.  The  western  branch 
is  called  the  river  of  the  Post,  and  has  on  its  S.  W.  side 
a  number  of  lakes?  formed  partly  by  its  own  refluent  waters,  and 
those  of  the  upland  streams:  the  lake  i  Casig  is  the  largest  of 
these.  Between  this  and  the  middle  branch,  several  islandsf  ard 
formed  by  the  connecting  bayoux.  In  Umes  of  high  water  there 
is  but  tittle  difference  in  the  size  of  these  three  branches;  the  ri* 
Ter  of  the  Fost  has  been  preferred  on  account  of  the  distance  be- 
ing shorter,  but  the  middle  branch  is  much  the  clearest,  though 
nothing  more  than  a  deep  gut  or  bayou,  twenty  or  thirty- yards 
in  width,  scarcely  sufScient  for  a  long  barge  to  turn  round.  The 
principal  settlement  of  Natchitoches,  is  situated  upon  it,  and 
forms  an  ahnoot  continued  village  for  forty  or  fifty  miles.  The 
inrater  jpever  rises  so  as  to  render  it  necessary  to  add  to  the  na? 

*  TMftis  inore  or  tess  the  esse  with  all  the  lakes  in  the  vicinity  of 
]^d  rirer.  The  streanis  from  the  hi|pb,  or  pritaiti  ve  ground,  are  extreme.. 
ly  well  supplied  with  water. 

f  AjBongat  otfterik  tbe  isle  of  the  Natchcx,  iHiese  that  unforttuMte 
people  madft  their  Ust  stand 


fiOt7NDAB1ES»  StJBPACE  Ste^BOOK  II. 


ur 


'he 
naf 


•tural  buil^i.  These  brancket  re>unUe  fifteen  or  twentf  niilet 
above  the  Rapides.  The  Red  river  rcceixes  from  the  N.  £.  side 
lake  Yse,  wbicb  discharges  itself  by  the  rivers  Rara  aod  Mar* 
teau.  From  the  re»uiuoD  of  these  braiiches*  the  river  pursues  a 
tolerably  well  defined  course  to  the  Mississippi,  loung  its  waters 
by  only  two  or  three  bayoux,  and  not  fonning  any  consrderable 
lakes.  Bayou  Boeuf,  which  is  formed  partly  by  a  large  stream 
from  the  upland,  and  partly  from  the  waters  of  Red  river,  roaf 
be  regarded  as  the  bouE^uary  of  the  Red  river  alluvion  in  that 
quarter. 

In  casting  the  eye  over  the  map,  it  will  be  seen  that  a  trian- 
gle  is  formed,  of  which  bayou  Boeuf  is  the  base,  and  Red  river 
and  the  Mississippi  the  two  sides.  It  is  in  this  triangle  that 
the  largest  body  of  low  sunken  lands,  are  to  be  found  in  the  statei 
particularly  in  the  angle  of  Mississippi  and  Red  river,  and  round 
the  curious  islatvd  of  Avoyelle.  From  murks  on  the  trees,  it  ap- 
peared to  me  that  the  land  bad  been  overflowed  to  the  depth  of 
ten  feet.  The  Avoyelle  is  a  body  of  primitive  ground,  about  thirty 
itailes  in  circumference,  the  growth  similar  to  that  of  West  Flo- 
rida, in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Mimissippi;  the  soil  is  not  re- 
markably rich,  but  affords  a  handsome  settlement.  The  Atcka- 
&!aya  of  Avoyelle,  flows  through  the  triangle,  in  a  course  paral* 
|el  to  the  bayou  Boeu^  and  is  without  any  settlement ;  the  land 
low.  The  lands  on  the  bayou  Boeuf,  particularly  on  the  upper 
part  of  it,  are  amongst  the  best  in  the  state,  commonly  of  two 
miles  in  width,  covered  with  impenetrable  thickets  of  cane) 
the  soil  extremely  rich,  of  a  red  color,  similar  to  that  on  the  At- 
cha&layaof  Red  river.  Of  late  years,  several  settlements  have 
been  formed  in  this  bayou,  and  the  lands  were  growmg  into  high 
repute  previous  to  the  depreciatitm  in  the  jHrice  of  cotton.  Th« 
Unda  on  the  Atchafalaya  of  Red  river,  are  of  nearly  the  sam« 
quality,  but  do  not  possess  the  same  depth.*  There  are  still  biM 
ibw  settlers.  Its  navigation  is  interrupted  by  rafu  and  other  obi- 

structions. 

Tk9  valley  of  Red  river  is  susceptible  of  a  very  wealthy  aodL 

^tensive  population  j  with  the  excej^iou  of  the  triangle  bc£»r« 


*  The  grsMt  of  the  United  8tat«f«  t«  the  Marquit  ^  ]ia  Vay«Ua 
hfeti  chiefly  located  on  this  bayou. 


XBB 


V.  VIEWft  OP  LOmSIWA* 


I 


described,  being  but  little  subject  to  OTcrflowinfi: :  the  profMirtiot* 
of  sunken  ground}  is  scarcely  equal  to  the  part  which  may  be 
cultivated,  and  the  proportion  altbgether  irreclumable,  is  very 
small.  The  best  cotton  of  the  United  States  is  produced  here,, 
and  brings  in  market,  generally,  one  cent  more  in  the  pound.-^ 
Tobacco  and  indigo  are  also  amongst  the  articles  of  culture*. 
The  principal  settlements,  are  those  of  Natchitoches,  bayou 
Hapide,  bayou  Robert,  bayou  Boeuf,  and  Atchufulaya. 

The  greater  part  of  the  tract  between  the  Atchafalaya,  l>ayou 
Flaquemine,  and  the  Mississippi,  is  low  and  uninhabitable 
land)  of  which  no  use  can  be  m&de  in  its  present  state.  The  ^et*^ 
demtents  of  Pointe  ^^np^  Went  Baton  Rouge,  and  Plaque* 
ntine,  form  trifling  •  |>  i  '^^  The  route  to  the  Attakapas  and 
Opelousas,  usually  t,  ly   boats,    is  through    the   bayou 

Plaquemine. 

The  last  and  the  largest  body  of  alluvion  ia  the  state,  is  en* 
closed  by  the  bayou  Plaquemine,  Atchafalaya,  a  bayou  which 
makes  out  from  it,  (and  forms  the  grand  lake,  connected  with 
the  lac  d'eau  Sal6e,)  the  sea,  and  the  Mississippi.  This  tract 
is  interspersed  with  a  number  of  very  large  lakes,  connected 
-with  thts  sea.  Bayou  la  Fourche  and  Atchalafaya  pass  through 
it:  the  latter  is  lost  in  a  variety  of  lakes  and  bayoux  before  it 
enters  the  gulpfa.  This  land  is  rapidly  gaining  from  the  sea ; 
the  large  lakes  are  shallow,  and  perceptibly  filling  up  every 
year,  by  the  sediment  of  the  Mississippi.  There  is  some  land 
around  them  susceptible  of  being  cultivated,  but  generally,  there 
b  no  liabitable  land  on  this  tract,  except  on  the  bayou  la  Fourche* 
and  Mississippi.  The  bayou  la  Fourche  is  a  beautiful  natural  ca* 
oal,  admittting  of  settlements  on  its  banks  for  eighty  miles  from 
where  it  issues  from  the  Mississippi.  When  the  Mississippi  is 
lught  it  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  width,  its  banks* 
iHlich  rarely  overflow,  are  guarded  by  a  slight  levee  of  two  feet 
|)igh:  it  is  free  from  obstructions  the  whole  way  to  the  gulph, 
and  there  are  said  to  be  sixteen  feet  of  water  on  the  bar.  For  the 
distance  of  sixty  miles,  a  single  horse  might  draw  a  large  boat,  so 
clean  andeven  are  its  banks.  In  riding  along  it,  the  idea  of  a  mag- 
nificent artificial  canal  was  continually  occurring  to  my  mind : 
art  cAnrtot  surpatt.it.  The  lands  are  in  many  places  a  mile  dnd 


^OUNBAlilES,  SUltFACB,  ttc— BOOK  it 


169 


an  half  in  depth  on  both  sides.  It  is  supposed,  that  on  this  ba- 
you, aiid  on  others  connected  with  it,  there  is  twice  as  much  ha- 
bitable l«nd,  as  there  is  from  its  entrance,  on  both  sides  of  the 
Mississippi,  to  New  Orleans.  Fof  nearly  thirty  miles  down^ 
on  each  side,  there  appears  a  continual  villitgej  and  it  is  tolera* 
bly  well  settled  for  thirty  miles  further. 

8.  Attakafid*  and  Ofieloutat. 

Opelousas  is  separated  from  the  Attaka^MS  by  Iwyou  l^usil- 
iier,  whith  connects  the  Teche  with  the  Vermillion,  and  is  a 
natural  canal,  which  might  with  e|ise  be  rendered  navigable.—* 
On  the  S.  W.  side  of  the  Vermillion  it  is  separated  by  the  Ca- 
ranCro,  a  stream  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  prairies,  and  falls  into 
the  Vermillion.  The  traveller,  on  approaching  the  Teche  from 
the  Vermillion,  easily  discerns  Where  the  high  primitive  ground 
gradually  descends  into  the  lower  prairies  of  the  Attakajpas.— 
These,  I  have  already  observed,  are  covered  with  a  coarser  ve- 
getation, and  are  better  wooded  than  those  of  the  Opelousas^ 
but  there  is  a  much  greater  porUono^them  waste,  and  subject  * 
be  drowned  by  rains,  and  are  even  sometimes  inundated  by  tht 
Teche :  the  greater  part  is  probably  alluvion,  at  least  for  a  mile 
or  two  on  the  S.  W.  side,  and  the  Ivhole  on  the  other.  The  soil 
is  extremely  rich,  though  of  a  texture  somewhat  too  close,  lia- 
ble to  bake  and  become  hard  and  stiff.  Cotton  is  at  present  the 
principal  culture ;  the  sugar-cane  has  been  found  to  succeed  a» 
well  if  not  better  than  on  the  Mississippi.  A  number  of  plantersy 
of  late,  are  turning  their  attention  to  it  Several  cotton  planter^ 
of  the  Mississippi  territory,  have  sold  their  plantations,  and 
commenced  establishments  on  the  Teche.  On  lake  Tasse  there 
is  a  sugar  establishment  of  some  years  standing,  but  this  is  the 
only  one  which  has  yet  been  completed. 

The  Vermillion  and  the  Teche  are  the  principal  rivers  of  the 
Attakapas,  neither  of  them  formed  by  the  refluent  watersof  other 
rivers,  but  rising  in  the  high  prairies  of  the  Opelousas;  the 
Vermillion  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Opelousas  church,  and 
the  Teche  considerably  north  of  it.  Their  general  courses  arc 
nearly  the  same  to  the  lake  Tasse,  where  the  Teche  vinds  some- 
what east  of  south.    Their  chahncls  are  deep,  the  waters  of  a 


m 


views  OF  LOUISIANA. 


dark  color,  and  not  reckoned  very  {;ood  for  use.  They  are  coo» 
nee  ed  by  streuras  from  the  lake  Tasse.  Schooners  and  light 
vessels  may  ascend  in  both  as  far  as  this  place*  from  the  Ver- 
million bay,  or  Berwick's  bay,  into  which  these  rivers  are  dis- 
charged. The  Teche  is  a  much  larger  and  longer  river  than 
the  other,  being  upwards  of  two  hundred  miles  in  length.  The 
Ta&se  is  a  beautifrl  lake  of  clear  water,  about  ten  miles  in  cir- 
cumference ;  there  are  plantations  around  it,  on  the  eastern  side, 
the  other  is  entirely  bare  of  wood. 

The  principal  settlements  of  the  Attakapas  are  on  each  side 
of  the  Tcche  (though  mostly  on  the  western,)  and  on  the  Ver- 
million. Besides  the  culture  of  cotton,  maize,  &c.  they  have 
the  advantage  of  those  extensive  natural  meadows  to  support 
their  herds ;  from  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  little  or  no  trou- 
ble is  requisite  to  keep  them.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Attakapas 
are  generally  wealthy,  and  live  as  luxuriantly  as  the  planters  of 
the  Mississippi.  It  is  not  eonsidered  healthy,  perhaps,  less  so 
than  on  the  coast  of  the  Mississippi.  On  the  whole,  it  is  destin- 
ed to  become  one  of  the  richest  districts  of  .Louisiana. 

The  immense  tract  of  open  plains  or  meadows,  which  composes 
the  Opelousas,  boasts  of  advantages  superior  to  all  the  riches 
of  the  Tethe  or  the  Mississippi,  in  the  salubrity  of  its  air  and 
the  beattty  of  its  surface.  Free  from  stagnant  waters,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  ponds  in  the  prairies,  the  atmosphere  is  not 
poisoned  by  noxious  vapours,  and  open  to  the  breezes  from  the 
gulph,  it  enjoys  a  cool  and  refreshing  temperature,  while  the 
rest  of  the  state  is  suffering  from  the  effects  of  a  close  and  sul- 
try air.  Without  fear  of  contradiction,  I  may  pronounce  the 
Opelousas  to  be  by  fur  the  most  healthy  part  of  the  state.  No« 
thing  can  be  more  beautiful  and  cheering  to  the  traveller,  than 
the  prospects  and  views  which  this  country  affords..  There  is 
nothing  wild  or  savage,  t^et  the  sceaefy  is  not  tame  or  monoto- 
nous; there  is  a  sufllicietit  variety  atid  succession  of  those  scenes, 
which  sooth  the  mind,  or  inbpire  with  lively  and  pleasing  emo- 
tions' I  passed  through  them  last  May,  when  they  appeared  to 
great  advantage.  The  distance  of  my  journey  was  forgotten 
while  I  gased  with  delight  upiod  the  waving  sur&ce  of  these 
meadow^)  now  covered  with  deep  green,  and  of  extent,  in  some 


BOUNDARIES,  SURFACE,  &e.^BOOK  H. 


m 


placet  boundied  only  by  the  horizon,  in  others  by  skirts  of  wood, 
dimly  appearing  as  in  some  distant  isle  of  the  sea;  while  a  thou* 
sand  brilliantjuid  odoriferous  flowers  shed  their  perfume  upon 
the  air.  The  plantations  scattered  along  the  water  courses  on 
the  outside  of  the  fringe  of  wood,  the  vast  herds  of  cattle  roam- 
ing at  random  over  the  plains,  complete  the  pleasing  picture. 

The  settlements  are  entirely  on  the  water  couraes,  vf  hich 
chequer  thi». plain;  settlers  turn  their  attention  principally  to 
grazing,  cotton  is  however  cultivated  to  ac^vautage.  The  num- 
ber of  cattle  composing  the  herds  which  some  of  the  wculihier 
possess,  would  in  other  parts  of  the  United  States,  be  consider- 
ed incredible ;  there  are  several  who  mark  from  one  to  two  thou- 
sand calves  every  year.  The  cattle  driven  to  New  Ofleans  for 
sale,  bring  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars  a  head. 

The  Mcntou  is  as  large  as  the  Teche,  and  falls  into  the  gulph 
considerably  to  the  S.  W.  of  it,  as  also  does  the  Carcasou;  on 
both  these  rivers  there  are  said  to  be  considerable  bodies  of  ha- 
bitable land.  The  Sabine,  which  constitutes  the  boundary  in  thai 
quarter,  is  a  very  considerable  river,  but  is  not  at  present  sus- 
ceptible of  navigation,  on  account  of  obstructions  in  its  coursef. 
The  lands  immediately  in  its  neighborhood  are  ^;ood. 

The  route  to  the  Opelousas  and  to  the  Attakapas,  is  either  by 
Plaquemine,  as  before  mentioned,  or  by  the'ferry  of  la  Fourche. 
This  is  also  the  route  in  time  of  high  water,  to  Rapidc,  or  Natch- 
itoehes,  for  persons  g^ng  by  land.  I  rode  along  the  lower  b»* 
you  la  Fourche  about  twenty-five  miles,  then  crossed  over  to  the 
out-let  of  a  small  bayou,  15  or  SO  feet  i^ide,  called  tht  Canal, 
from  it»  having  been  somewhat  imprqved  by  labor,  and  form- 
ing a  convenient  communication  with  the  lakes,  and  the  Teche : 
following  this  bayou  or  canal  about  fifteen  miles,  I  came  to  the 
ferry  kept  by  a  Gkrman,  who  hais  the  exclusive  right  from  the 
state,  on  condition  of  keeping  suitable  accommodations.  Here 
I  embarked,  in  the  evening,  on  a  platform  erected  on  two  large 
Cv^noes,  with  a  railing  jn  the  middle  for  the  purpose  of  confining 
oqr  hprses,  and  alter  passing  through  lake  Platte,  and  several 
other  lajbes  .^qd  bayoux,  landed  about  three  o^clopk  next  mom* 
ing,  two  miles  up  the  Teche.  The  distance  twenty-three  miles. 
The  night  being  pleasant,  and  no  wind  stirring,  I  had  a  pleasant 


ut 


VraWS  OF  LOUISIAlf  A. 


patMge,    The  lakes  are  not  more  than  three  or  four  milei  la 
width}  hut  the  nftrrow  bayou  x  connecting  them  are  so  numerous* 
that  it  requires  considerable  experience  not  to  lose  the  way.  On 
my  return  |  was  less  fortunate ;  I  found  at  the  ferry  seYeral 
persons  who  had  been  waiting  for  three  dayst  the  wind  render- 
ing it  useless  to  attempt  to  cross;  their  patience  Wfis  by  this 
time  totally  exhaustedtand  it  was  determined  to  start*  though  the 
wind  had  abated  but  little  of  its  violence.  With  some  difficulty 
we  reached  Berwick's  bay.  The  wind  here  became  too  s|roog> 
^d  we  were  compelled  tq  pui  to  shore  on  a  little  pmnt  of  lan4 
overgrown  with  palmettoes,*  where  we  found  two  or  three  fish- 
ermen stretched  before  a  little  fire.    The  (ide  wu  up»  the  bank 
of  the  lak#  not  more  than  two  feet  high,    These  lakes  are  ent 
▼eloped  in  the  most  gloofny  forests  of  oak,  cypress  and  ash*  up- 
on whose  boughs  the  long  mossyt  or  Spanish  beard*  is  suspend? 
f  d  in  enormous  nrwssest  almost  shutting  out  the  light  from  these 
dreary  spots*  yf\a\P  underneath*  there  is  an  impenetrable  thicket 
of  underwood*  and  smaller  trees  and  vines.    Ahout  13  o'clock* 
the  wind  having  somewhat  abated,  we  struck  across  the  bay*  but 
before  we  could  reach  bayou  Long*  the  approach  of  a  storm* 
which  every  moment  threatened  to  burst  upon  us*  ccnapelled  as 
to  put  into  one  of  the  first  bi^oux  which  coiumunicatca  with  lake 
|*lat^.    We  had  scarcely  reuched  the  entrance*  until  it  began 
to  poor  down  tcMrents  of  ffun*  accompanied  by  incessant  peak 
of  thunder.    Without  the  slightest  shelter  except  our  great 
coats*  vfe  fqund  our  situation  extremely  uncomfortable.  Abou| 
day  light  we  continued  our  voyage*  opposed  by  wind  and  current* 
the  rain  continuing  with  but  little  intermission  until  we  arrived 
0/1  the  other  side*  whiph  was  not  until  four  in  the  evemngi  al«> 


*  4  plaot  very  common  in  the  lower  part  of  LoaiMans-Hhe  leavei 
80  disposed  m  to  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  a  very  lafge  |eni.  It 
ftow$  upctn  U^e  more  elevated  spots  of  grpund. 

'  f  f  h«ve<often  puzzled:  m^sdf  to  find  out  tome  known  object  to  whiph 
^  appesiance  of  tkise«l^ic|0#||li^uetron  might  be  cmiptfed.  Cha- 
teaubriand ecu^partit  drrmi  to  endvfaous  ghosts  f  The'  best  I  can  think 
pf,  is  to  the  shattered  sails  of  a  sWp*  after  a  stovm,  tiMe  csMVSsf  hsngii^ 
491IF?)  iu  a  tlwufsndcsggsd  shice^ 


BOUNDARIES,  8UBFACB,  Im»-BOOK  IL  1|^ 

most  exhtukisd,  having  been  compelled  to  tund  up  the  greater 
part  of  the  time,  and  chilled  to  the  very  heart.  Here  the  atten- 
tion and  kindnesi  of  the  good  people,  soon  made  us  forget  what 
we  had  MidurcJ,  or  remembered  onlf  to  felicitate  ourtelvea  on 
iti  having  paased.  Theie  accident*  do  not  frequently  occur. 


Cha- 
Ithinic 


4.   Settlement*  f^lM.  Fourche^~~Coa9t  <ffthe  MUeUeip/i^^ 

Fauete  riviere. 

The  aettlers  of  La  Fourche,  are  chiefly  what  the  French  calif 
petite  habitanff  small  planters,  and  are  therefore,  more  numer- 
ous than  on  the  coast,  for  it  requires  many  cottages  to  make  one 
chateau.  There  are  however,  some  extensive  establishments. 
Lands  have  risen  here  in  price,  since  they  have  grown  in  de» 
maAd  for  sugar  plantations^  and  many  of  the  fietite  habitant* 
bought  out.  The  settlers  from  the  Canal,  up  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Fourche,  are  principally  of  Spanish  origin,  and  speak  but  lit* 
tie  French.  They  are  a  poor  and  miserable  population ;  seem 
la«y  and  careless,  and  are  destitute  of  thos^  little  comforts,  and 
that  neatness,  which  are  found  in  the  cottage  of  the  poorest 
French  creole. 

The  most  pleasant  part  of  Louisiana,  when  we  take  into  con- 
aideration  the  comforts  and  convenience*  of  life,  is  that  which  is 
called  the  Coaet,  mmI  proves  to  us  what  may  be  done  by  the  art 
and  industry  of  man*  even  in  those  partt  which  nature  haa  left 
rude  and  unughtly.  It  afibrda  one.  of  the  strongest  arguments 
in  favor  of  civllisation»  and  iMigbt  to  go  far  in  reconciling  tho 
philanthropic  mind  to  the  circumstance  of  the  present  inhaMt- 
^ts,  having  shoved  off  the  {rftiable,  careless  race,  who  first  pos- 
aessed  it.  Would  it  be  too  much  to  say,  that  this  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  the  face  of  nature,  was  the  condition  on  which 
the  Creator  gave  to  the  human  race  the  lordship  of  the  earth ! 
Even  the  garden  of  Eden  required  the  fostering  care  of  Adani 
apd  his  partner : 


<«  on  tA  their  nioraing;'s  mral  trotk  they  lisMe, 
4aK>ng  sweet  dew*  itid  flow'rs ;  where  any  roW 


Vliwt  or  LOOtftAITA. 

Of  IVuit4reeii  over^wvody  rcaeh'd  too  tu 
Thtir  pMttpcr'd  bouyhs,*''— »lic. 


The  borders  of  the  MiMieeippi  in  their  netura!  •(•!««  ire  ftr 
ftom  being  egreeeble  to  the  ejre  (  we  lee  onljr  Rloofnx  fbrestii 
cloee  thickets  of  underwood  and  reedsi  puurosoent  trunlui  of 
trees»  unci  the  nidged  benks  heaped  up  with  the  sweeping-p  of 
the  upper  country^  and  the  sides  of  the  river  filled  with  saw- 
yers and  planters.  In  Uea  of  these  defomiities«  we  generally 
^nd  clean»  smooth  bankst  a  stream  unobatructed  by  these  impe- 
dimontsi  its  encroachments  restrained)  and  delightful  plantations 
and  dwellings  every  where  appearing.  The  Coast  may  be  said 
to  begin  at  Poiiite  Couple.  fr'4m  this  to  La  Fourche?  two-thirds 
of  the  banks  are  perfectly  cleared  and  highly  cultivated!  from 
thence  (o  N.  Orleans,  distance  of  near  100  mi|esi  the  settlements 
continue  without  interruption  on  both  sidest  ^nct  present  the  ap<« 
pearanceof  a  continued  village.  I  was  enchanted  with  the  magni- 
ficence of  the  scenei  as  1  floated  down  the  ntajestlc  river  in  Dec. 
1811.  The  continued  succession  of  plantationi  hud  off  with  reg- 
ularity and  taste ;  the  various  useful  and  ornamental  treett  the  figi 
peccanet  ever  green  oak*  lauralsi  pine^  weeping  willowi  kc  The 
delighi^l  groves  rA  Orange  ireeS)  bending  under  the  weight  of 
their  goiien  fruiti  to  one,  just  from  the  dreary  solitudes  of  th^ 
Misiourii  or  the  rude  wilds  of  Upper  itoui^anat  w«re  objects 
indescribably  pleasing.  I  could  have  believed  that  I  waa  wit- 
nessing those  paradisiacal  scenes  of  which  I  have  sometimea 
«lre«i^med;  but  one  or  two  reflections  which  intruded  themselves» 
unwelcome  and  unbidden  gueatSf  soon  caused  me  to  view  the 
<t  fair  profusion/*  with  other  sensations.  The  earth  which  bears 
these  ornaments  has  been  moistened  by  the  tears  of  bundredi 
vrjic  labor  to  support) 

<*  A  haughty  l<Hrdlinf'c  pride  :* 

in  the  midst  of  these  rich  gifta  which  seem  to  invite  to  enjoy- ' 
ment  and  dellghti  there  lurks  poison,  disease,  and  death !  Alas, 
how  wretched  is  the  poor  wanderer  deceived*  whose  thoughts 
^n  bent  on  discovering  on  thii  earth,  some  spot,  possessing  in 


IAVna.«-BOOK  0. 


IV 


much  higher  degree  then  eny  other,  the  etreemt  of  heppineui 
end  of  pleasure  unalloyed  1  a  nearer  approach  ditpele  what  th« 
dlitant  protpcct  had  promiied,  and  he  is  at  length  uught  by  ex- 
perience, that  the  gifU  of  heaven  are  equally  diipensedf  at  Icaat 
|hat  it  i»  not  in  thii  world  we  are  to  expect  a  paradise. 

The  dwellings  on  the  Coast  are  generally  frame,  of  one  sto- 
ry in  height,  but  there  are  many  constructed  with  tolerable  ele- 
gance. The  sugar  houses,  on  either  side,  at  intervals  consider- 
ably distant,  were  easily  distinguished,  by  the  vast  columns  of 
iimoke  which  they  sent  up  Into  the  air.  Within  thirty  or  forty 
mibs  of  the  city  there  are  but  few  of  the  fietitt  haMtanf^  tho 
lands  being  engrossed  by  the  wealthy  planters:  this  is  continu- 
ally progressing  downwards,  and  the  dUproponion  of  the  whites 
to  the  blacks  of  cours«  Increasing.  Below  the  place,  where  th« 
Insurrection  commenced  in  1811,  to  the  city,  the  distance  of 
thirty  miles,  there  Is  scarcely  one  white  person  to  twenty  blacks. 
When  the  lands  on  the  coast  shall  be  principally  occupied  by 
the  larger  planters,  which  will  be  the  case  at  no  disauit  periods 
it  will  be  found  absolutely  necessary  to  station  an  armed  force 
«t  intervals,  as  far  up  as  Pointe  Couple. 

The  settlements  ofFausae  riviere,  on  the  old  bed  of  the  riv- 
nr,  behind  Pointe  Coupie,  is  considered  one  of  the  wealthiest  in 
the  state.  In  high  water,  Fausse  riviere,  is  filled  from  the  Mit- 
sisbippi,  and  is  as  wide  as  that  river;  after  the  flood  subsidesp 
the  Water  hi  this  place  stagnates,  and  the  settlement  is  render- 
ed unhealthy.  The  banks  are  high,  and  there  is  greater  safety 
from  UtundatioQ  and  the  breaking  of  the  levee  than  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi. 


LEVEES. 

IT  nuiy  be  thought  that  1  have  represented  this  countr/,  in 
d>me  respects,  in  too  favorable  a  light  t  that  1  have  endeavored 
Id  represent  the  diflncuities  which  oppose  themfti'lves  to  its  im- 
provement, as  less  considerable  than  they  really  are.  Certainly 
those  difHculties  are  many  and  great,  and  when  contumplafedt 
without  reflecting  on  what  man  can  effect,  they  api>car  in«ur« 
mptmtabie ;  but  when  we  examine  what  he  has  done  in  other 


ir* 


VIEWS  OF  LOmstAl^A. 


parts  of  the  world,  it  must  be  acknowled^d  that  but  few  im* 
possibilities  present  themselves  in  the  improvement  of  this 
country.  Time,  and  a  numerous  pdpuhition,  are  doubtless,  re- 
quisitet  but  the  advanuges  which  offer  themselves,  will  render 
it  no  less  certain.  TNe  soil  of  Louisiana  is  the  most  fertile  in 
the  world,  the  climate  delightful  during  nine  months  of  the 
year,  and  bad  the  remainder,  only  from  beingf  irrecltdmed;  its 
productions  are  of  the  most  valuable  kind,  and  its  geographical 
position,  superior,  perhaps  to  that  of  any  part  of  America. 
These  considerations  will  combine  to  ndse  the  lands  of  Louisi- 
ana to  their  highest  value,  sooner  than  In  other  sections  of  the 
union,  where  the  lands  being  more  than  sufficient  to  support  ten 
times  the  present  population,  and  the  productions  every  where 
much  alike,  it  is  not  likely  that  the  inhabitants  will  soon  be  com- 
pelled to  resort  to  the  thousand  arts,  by  which  every  acre  in  the 
populous  parts  of  the  old  world  is  forced  « n  bring  something. 
In  Louisiana,  the  value  of  its  prodtictions  ihe  amazing  fertility 
of  its  !k>il,  with  its  other  advantages)  will  cause  these  arts  to  be 
resorted  to  much  sooner.  Still  many  years  must  pass  away  be- 
fore we  can  expect  to  become  sufficiently  acquainted  with  this 
country,  or  before  the  diflTerent  means  can  be  discovered  of  redu- 
cing it  to  subjection ;  this  must  be  the  result  of  long  experience 
and  observation.  It  will  be  reduced  to  a  science, all  the  inventions 
of  the  old  world  for  similar  purposes  will  Lc  put  in  requisition, 
and  new  ones  adapted  to  the  peculiaritiee  of  the  country  will  be 
fallen  upon.  But  it  is  the  gift  of  man  to  subdue  and  govern  the 
earth,  and  when  we  have  seen  him  not  only  place  it  under  his 
subjection,  but  even  raise  for  himself  a  dominion  out  of  the  ele- 
ment of  storma,  where  shall  we  set  bounds  to  liis  luborii  and  in- 
genuity ? 

The  most  ronslderable  work  of  art  yet  constructed  for  the 
purpose  of  rendering  this  country  habitable,  is  the  embankment 
•f  the  river,  usually  called  the  levee.  Wc  should  m  much  de- 
ceived if  we  were  to  form  an  idea  of  thitt  from  the  dykes  of  Hol- 
land or  the  embankments  of  the  Nile.  The  fcvees  are  common- 
ly constructed  in  the  folloving  manner.  At  the  distance  of  thir- 
ty or  forty  yai^s  from  the  natural  bank,  a  mound  of  earth  is  rais« 
«d,  varying  from  four  to  8i:C  feet  high,  and  usually  from  nix  to 


tEVEES.--BOOIt  i'. 


in 


tiihto  fetft  at  the  base,  with  sufficient  width  at  the  top  for  a  foot 
path.  A  close  stiff  clay,  conimon  on  the  lower  parts  of  the  riveri 
la  preferred.  Sods  are  placed  on  the  sides  and  at  the  top,  and 
cjrpress  slabs  are  often  put  in  the  inside  for  the  purpr:*e.  of  pre- 
venting the  watet*,  where  there  is  ahjr  current,  from  eating  away 
the  earth;  There  is  a  ditch  for  the  purpose  of  draining  off  tho 
water  which  boxes  through.    The  road  lies  between  the  leve<$ 
and  the  fendes,  and  is  crossed  at  internals  bjr  dndns,  covered 
with  plank,  as  the  sewers  of  a  citjr,  fur  the  purpose  of  carrying 
off  the  Water  t6  the  swamps.    An  immense  qUanUty .  of  water 
finds  its  way  through  the  embankment^  mostly  through  holes 
made  by  cfaVrflsh,  Which  sometimes  increase  so  rapidly,  as  to 
effect  a  breach.  Several  years  are  necessary  for  the  levee  to  be- 
come perfectly  solid  and  firm,  previous  to  this,  it  is  liable  to  be 
injU^il  by  rains.    The  levee  pursues  a  zig-aag  course,  to  suit 
the  different  curves  and  indentations  of  the  river,  as  Well  as  the 
sinuosities,  for  it  being  too  slight  a  work  to  compel  the  river  to 
hold  its  course,  it  must  yield  to  its  caprice.  As  the  river  en- 
croaches upon  it,  or  recedes,  another  levee  is  constructed  near- 
er the  river,  or  behind  the  first;  from  which  pircumstancesi 
there  are  in  many  places  doublti  levees.   A  person  standing  in* 
side  of  the  levee  in  a  very  high  flood,  appears  to  stand  below  tlie 
surFace  of  the  water ;  but  thei^  are  in  few  places  ihore  than 
two  or  three  feet  ag^ainst  the  levee,  the  ground  between  it  and 
the  river  being  much  high^^r  than  on  the  iuSide ;  this  may  be  ac- 
counted for,  from  the  quantity  Of  sediment  deposited,  and  the 
wearing  down  of  the  road.    There  aire  besides,  other  rnode^  of 
constructing  the  levee,  arid  the  expense  end  siae  depends  Upon 
the  resistance  necessary,  which  in  some  places,  generally  in 
bends,  is  much  greater  than  in  Others.    What  is  considered  a 
good  levee,  may  almost  any  where  be  made  for  four  hundred 
dolls,  per  mile.  Every  individual  is  obKg^d  to  keep  up  the levee 
in  front  of  his  own  land,  and  before  the  time  of  high  waters  it  is 
inspected  by  commissioners  appointed  for  the  purpose  in  each 
parish,  and  if  found  insufficient,  it  is  made  at  his  expense.     But 
this  is  by  no  means  adequate  to  the  purpose,  for  during  the  sea- 
son of  great  floods,  the  Uvees  require  constant  attention,  they 
must  be  conlMiually  watched,  and  all  hands  are  sometiiiies  drawn 

t 


%r» 


VmWf  OF  LOtnHAKA. 


.fram  the  fields  to  iittq^id  th«in  for  wbolo  d^jiand  nights.  Wb«rc 
the  levciB  l;iapj>ent  not  to  be  pufilclentlj  highfCMith  mutt  be  added; 
where  It  i^pcart  toci^uroble  }»,  slabs. ipu«t  be  |)Uced  to  protect 
it;  Ki^hero  rains  ha,ve  rendered  h spongy »nd,iocM(ey everjr  appqar- 
ance  of  «  Hole  ii|a4e  by  crawBsh  must  bo  wntcbed  •nd  filled  up. 
HcQjCOt  it  jufiten  occurm  that  frnni  the  weakness  pr  uegUgonce  of 
some  individual,  )both  be  and  his  neighbors  are  ruined* 

It  has  often  been  a  nw^etr .of  .surprise  to  me  thitf  works  t^pon 
which  so  much  depend,  should  be  constructed, in  ainannnr  so 
rude  and  trifling.  A  few  moments  are  suiBcicynt  .to  destroy  the 
labor  and  industqr  of  twenty  years  It  wo  rj^marke^i  that  the 
atcam  boat  in  high  winter,  under  wayj  might  with  ease  p^MW  over 
th^  leree  ;:I  WM  Qever  q)ore  struck  wi^h  theinff^t  Atate  of  im- 
provements in.this  cojiintryt  and  the  want  of  public  spirit,  than  in 
tiewb^g  the  work  upon  which  the  l^uloWan  depeitds  for  the 
s^curitjr  of  his  all:  s  pipdigtous  Yolume  of  water  rolling  over 
his  hepid,  prevented  only  by  s  plight  mound  of  earth  from  over- 
whelming bjmand  all  he  posfesses.  3ut  he  dmss  not  sleep 
soundly*  In  1 8 1 1  ,*  hi  the  sefkion  of  high  water,  for  »i»  weeks  the 
coast  presented  »  Kene  of  xoqtinwl  a»  4«^  W2<i  upprehensioni 
the  haudt  withdrawn,  from  the  fleld|i^d.k(;pt  watching  day  mi 
ii)ght|^  wddinig  to  their  breastwork  as  the  fivstr  vote.  U  tHo 
expense»  labor,  loss  pf  time,  a^id  tbe  ,deiitr.uctipn  pf  prppert^r, 
^rere  estlropit^  and  formed  ifii^ a gjcneral fjind^it  fould  hpvc 
been.auAcient  to  have  ei^scted  a  worM  caiMbie  qI  withst^r  •  v^$ 
tl^e  highest  .floodf  fnd  rqi^levpd  'Uem  perfectly  accvc  for  the 
,future.  it  in  the  ^e^uon  pf  bilgb  wu^v*  ihv  h^a  ftorm  of  wind 
were  tp  arfa%  thererarc  sc^rciel*  «ti^  of  the  pr  '"tpt  levees  which 
would  not  give  wigrind  the  whple  .?ou».:rv  v^m^  under  wuici. 
But  ufitil  the  tepMWiQ^comes  tb^  dpinger  is  not  feared*  and  noth- 
,ing  b  4<^«  ^n^\  it  is  too  Ifte ;  thpie  who  escape  resolve  to  be 
prepared  for  the  neitt  y^r,  but  this  is  sppn  forgotten.  Lust  year 
(1813)  ^he.  w^er  rose  mMch  lets  than  in  ordinary  yesrs,  gnd 
icarcdy  passed  ov^r  tl\e  bf^ks,  y^t  At  this  timci  a  stpcm  of  wind 

*  Thli  vu  itUt  more  the  cipe  in  the  present  yfiju*  1813,  the  water 
t^ie  higher  than  in  1811,  by  iix  or  eight  inches,  aod  had  thev  not  been 
i<»;n«^w'iat  fd.^aied  by  the  former  season,  they  mtjtst  h^ve  been  totallv 
'd«*t?«yed. 


Life] 


L«VEB9.->D00K  It. 


m 


wliieh  ccMlfMied  nMM  thta*^  a  dkjr,  mOit  %it¥m\^  IkdtiOkHtk 
the  l«y«e)  dolni^  itiueh  in^tf  to  tHv  phmtMloHti  Hid  thfX' 
itbrm  oeeuttfld'  «rtM  same  Mflton  iNtf  jrvitf  iibfbtw,  die  itfiblto 
country  would  Hiv«  b««ti  imdet^wktvr'.  /^gcmriemtnr  Ihf6t-iti** 
ed  me  tWit  lie  #lth«t«ed  ritonti  thttt'  iiNtfoh,  ^  whlfelCltttadP 
only  fifteen  minutei{  yst  the  cffectr  iHiifeh  it  ifitHttfetXd'  <HW«' 
ed  ^)  produce  iin  un)verMl  pkitfie;  iM«ni  wt>Mkm  itfcd>dhUtti  h  • 
voluntarily' rtut  to  trie  lOfM  il  K'wiitf  t6'ty^p<lHMi^#llh'l!h«li' 
handl. 

The  MlMltilitpi  lA  Itii  natural  state,  at  lniiiiK3^ohe  huridlNHi^ 
and  ftftjr  niilet  above  NViW  Orient,  oVerflbwi  Itk'  biiMKt^  eorA* 
mutM^AtnlUi  ft^rti  t#t>'«Qf  thre«'  fteti  and  tH«  di^ceht  tD^tKd^ 
s'vfampt  ib  verjr  rapld^  perh«p»  not  l<^  than  fl>ni"f(feet  m  iMlHr. 
Even  hr  tMi  itate,  it  mutt  flbw  drer  itfe  bankf  with  great  veii^ 
city;  huf  Che  artMicial  embonkmenttf  l^endoelfig  Ha  iraien^. 
cause  t^««m  to  riie  from  «wo  to'three'f^et  higKef.  Tht;  natural' 
ftl!  of  the  river  itfeelf}  lourcely  exceedb  onie  fcpot  perit^lte  t  i^ 
aUij  now  eaidiy- conceive  t)^  velocity  of  a  sheet  of  iNtter^WhoaO 
current  it'  thus  tuddienly  increased'  w  fivt  or  tlx-  Aetf  (Mr  mile', 
ft  ruthea  frem  the  rhrer  witHindetcrihablib  imj^ettattihys  ntVttrtf 
noiie  like  the*  roavhig^of  a  catirttict,  bolll>ymd'^  ibKiMttg^i  gMf 
teArlhg  every  thing  Mefbre  it   To'  on«  whb  bat  nor  te«n  thiv 
country  it  it  almottf  hnpoitlble  t6  convey*  any  idhi  of  thoterrora 
excited  by  a  crrva«9e  or  breaking  of  the  levee.  £ike  th«  bre»k<> 
ihg  out  of  Are  in  a  town,  wheni  ne  otie*  Ihww ;  whim'  hia  own 
dwelling  maybe  atsailed,  it  excitea  utiiversal'  comteMation; 
every  emplbyment  It  abandoned  for  ittilea  above  and*  Hetow,  and^ 
all  huten  to  the  spot,  where  every  exertion  it  iftade  dky  ahd* 
night  to  aiop  the  breach,  which  it  locketimet  fueeeiiflil,  bur 
more  frequently,  the  hostile  ehfmenr  la  itiflfered^  w  take  iti 
course.'*  The  consequences  are,  the  dtestruttion  of  the  ctt>p,  the' 


my 


*  There  are  various  modes  of  stopping  a  erevassS,  Uh«  «ii«it  eomnnon 
is  tbefollowiRifs  ihey  begin  on  each  tide  of  the  cr4M«M,  tO  drive  dtou< 
ble  rows  of  piles  gradually  falling  with  the  current  to  as  to  meet  less  re* 
i^istaneek  unt'»l  ikmy  uiute«  and  thus  form  a  semtoinile  like  a  ftib  basket } 
in  the  next  place  Uie  piiea  are  interwoven  with  small  branches,  or  sNkiJ 
placed  lengthwise  between  ihera ;  branches  of  trees  arc  then  placed^ 
behind  the  piles,  and  some  heavier  materials,  logs,  tie.  against  them :  if 


d 

':^'f 

'j.i  ij 

1 

y\3m 

g 

S 

r.i 

,>   t^H-' 


190 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


buildings,  and  sometimes  the  uy'A  itxelf  is  much  injured  where 
the  current  rushed  over,  eiirryuig  aw^y  ^he  soili  or  le^ivu^g  nu« 
roerQt^s  logs  and  trees  drawn  into  tht  ^rprtex  as*  they  floated  down 
the  river;  these  mus(  be  destroyed  before  the  land  can  again  be 
icultivatedf  T^^  efTecu  of  ^  bread)  of  the  levee  are  even  mora 
desolalii^g  thiol  thpse  of  fii:e. 

i'{tl?!^^gh^t  aipbit^oua  of  the  reputation  of  a  prqjeptor,  I  con* 
not  refrain  froiq  ei^pressing  the  (ollowing  nptions  on  the  mode 
Krhich  ought  to  be  pursued.  It  strikes  me  that  this,  as  is  the 
case  with  every  great  public  work  in  the  Unitf|d.  States,  should 
be  resigned  to  ^  company  prganixed  ^r  the  purpose,  who  might 
dny/fk  benefit  from  the  undertakingt  i^id  at  the  same  timebe  res- 
poq|ible,tp  the  individual  for  tbie  injury  which  hesusti^ns.  When 
lire  see  the  enormqus  fCf  pense  in  constructing  tumpikea  for  the 
purpose  of  facilitating  (he  transportation  of  goods  and  for  travel- 
ling, it  would  bp  no  grefit  esertiop  of  public  spirit,  for  people  to 
go  to  the  {Mine  expense  in  securing  upt  only  those  objects,  .but 
their  a fi.  Ppe  himdred  thousand  dollars  yk^ould  make  the  levee 
tveaty  feet  wide  at  the  base,  and  ten  feet  at  the  top  from  New 
Orleans,  on  tbe  east  ftide«  to  Baton  Rouge ;  the  expenses  thei^ 
would  not  h^  greater  thai)  in  keeping  a  turnpike  road  in  repair, 
The  trayelliuj^  up  and  down  the  coast  is  as  great  as  on  any  of 
our  turnpike'^,  and  the  tolls  would  yield  as  rrtuch.  There  is  nq 
planter  on  the  cr  !it  whq  would  not  pay  two  dolJUrs  per  acre 
front  per  annum,  ija  be  excm^it  i'rom  the  labor  of  keeping  up 
his  levee,  iuid  t'or  the .  security  be  wouid  guin  from  one  ntaiio 
on  ^cb  fi  ^al^>  Itisi^faO  ..ere  ii>  not.  u  planter  ou  the  Mii!* 
sissippi,  yfkiotiQ  plari.  tion  u^li^ht  not.be  jrmncd  Ui  half  an  hour, 
and  perhaps  less  time  by  some  viiiain}  wicked  ciiough  to  do  it : 
he  yfpuH  9nly  bave  to  ra#k|:  a.^rt^cbiM  th^  leve«:,  which  the  cur* 
rent  woMld  sppn  yrken  s^ciently  for  his  puiput»e.  Centiuels 
during  the  highest  stage  of  water,  are  contitiually  walking  on 
tthe  leveeS)  i.3  well  to  prevent  such  attempts,  as  to  watch  uiiy  in- 
roa4»  'f  the  water, 

-^"     ■  .       .  • 

they  can  succeed  this  fiu>,  earth  ia  then  thrown  upon  the  w'holt',  and  t^us 
a  new  ieve«  formed.  As  a  preventutivt-  where  the  levee  itppeftrs  to  be 
ailtoat  giving  away,  cofler  dams  are  erected. 


ANTIQUITIE8.~BOOK  IL  M 

It  wottldbe  adviaeabte  to  leave  atintervalSfOpeDin^i  k  (bi:  ie- 
vee,  pfoperly  secured  oq  each  aidet  like  tbe  siekes  a/  mc  aww 
millat  io  order  to  let  off,  the  vrater-of  the  rive^.     i%fi  mtrMsnae , 
quuotity  eaoapes- through  the  present  kvees.     In  propcMtiofi  m . 
the  leveea  extend  upwardS)  and  those  jielow .  btcome  properly  , 
secured,  so  as  to  prevent  much  of  the  water  Irom.escapingt  tt^ey , 
must  ,be  raised.    A  vast  body  of  waterji^,,  thq^present  time  pas*^, 
sea  off  in  those  places,  where.there  are  poeqnbankinents ;  if  thia 
were  kept  in,  the  leveea  would  <^.vei7  where  require  to  be  sev<)«. 
ral  feet  higher.    Arti&c;iid  drains  at  proper  distances  might  in  it 
great  measure  obviate  this  difficulty,    Eut  not  having  leisure 
for  th«se  speculations,  I  ieav«.tbem  to  others,  whaare  otherwise 
int^rast^d)  than  as  general  wellfwiahers  tor  j^9  prosperity  of  tbei. 
country..  • .  t     ■ 

'  ^JtNXmUITIES  IN  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  MISSiaSZPPZ. 


ai  JIIJIIIP  VOVIftTI  BXGTIVS  XKTII,  CAXDIDUS  IMVERTI,  SI  MOVfHia 

ilTXAB  MBGUM. 

-Mi  -i^  ..-irVftill-'H}    ri^li-- 

CONSIDERABLE  curiosity  has  been  excited  by  appear* 
ances  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributary  waters,  supposed  to 
prove  a  more  ancient  and  advanced  population,  than  the  state  of 
the  country^  or  the  character  of  the  tribes  inhabiting  it,  when 
first  visit|Bd  by  Europeans,  would  seem  to  indicate.  1  need 
m4ke.n0  apology  for  devoting  a  chapter  to  a  subject,  which  has 
been  dignified  by  the  pens  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  Dr.  Burton,  an^ 
a  Bishop  ]Vludison.  Yet,  with  all  possible  deference  to  theso 
respectable  names,  I  cannot  but  think  their  theories  founded 
on  a  very  imperfect  acquuntance  with  these  remains :  having 
never  themselves,  visited  any  but  the  least  considerable,  and  but, 
few  having  been  described  by  others  wim  accuracy.  The  sub- 
ject is  still  new, and  I  know  of  none  wiuch  opens  a  wider  ifiel4  for 
interesting  and  amusini;  speculation. 


m 


VlteWi  OF  tMfimKWk. 


Mtoft  witltouiconthhtrinitthe  Mtontohlnff  inimlMf  md  vtri- 
«iy  of  then  rvmtitnit  Imw  ittributcU'them  to  «  colony  of  W«lBh> 
or  Dftnett  #Ko  ■rt^rat»|iottd't6  Hkf  fbund  their  wuf  by  •otnt 
«ecM«m  tO)  thk  country « «boQt  the  ninth  ««Mury;  WIthoat  rt* 
earring  to  tite  imiontng  of  dbctor  Rt»benioir»fttinit  the  prob«- 
bHity  of  tuctv  reolbny,  f  wilt  obiervtr,  that  it  ii'ilHiolmeiy  impoi* 
elblv  tlVftt  tHi;y  eottid  h«¥«  fdined*  iueh'  ■  (boitng  at  t  htme  vettl» 
gn  indicate,  ivMioufit  tIStf  Mrtkt'ri^i  toting'  others  lb«i  ei|uU 
ftKhl.  Extefvritig  a  wiW  tiid*  to  be  dliicovered  in  NbrVir  Caro- 
llht\  hut  which, on eitaiAiHalloii, provtd tobe a  volcank  prodtie- 
tion,  I  have  nov  heard'  of  a  tlngie  worH  of  bricK  or  stone  north  of 
Mexico.  The  fbrtificatimn  iti  tne  wettcKti  country  are  derold 
of  those  marltt  which  htv»  charaoteriied'the  European  mode  of 
il  iifying  almott  time  immemorial  t  tticy  are  mere  encioauret, 
without  anglen  ur  baations,  and  aoldom  surrounded  by  a  ditch. 
The  place  it  usually  such  as  convenience  would  dictate,  or  as 
Is  best  adapted  to  the  ground  t  two  miles  below  Pittsburgh,  on  n 
Itind  of  promontory  called  M^Keo's  Hoolis,  nearly  inaccessible 
on  three  sides,  there  is  a  fortification  formed  by  a  single  line  on 
the  laud  side.  They  are  sometimes,  it  is  true,  laid  off  with  reg- 
ularity, in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  semicircle,  or  square, 
but  most  commonly  they  are  irregular. 

Wo  aro  ofte»  t«ntpted  by  a  foftdnvsa  (br  tli«  mftrwHous,  to 
seek  out  remote  and  improbable  causes,  for  that  which  may  be 
explained  by  the  most  obvious.  In  the  eagerness  to  prove  the 
existence  lif  the  Welsh  colony,  by  uttributing  to  them  these  re- 
nains,  we  k  rget  that  the  natives  of  the  country  when  first  dis> 
covered  by  Surttpeans,  were  universally  In  the  haoit  of  fortify- 
ing lii  the  early  vars  of  the  New  England  colonists  with  thq 
Ihdians,  we  are  iiiformed,  that  Philip,  qhief  of  the  Nlphet  tribe, 
defended  himself  iii  a  fort  which  he  had  constructed,  and  sufll- 
dently  large  to  contain  two  thousand  men.  Charlevoix,  du  Pratz, 
tfid  others,  relate  the  particulars  of  several  ideges.  A  fortifies- 
^on  la  Dite  of  the  first  things  that  would  riaturally  suggest  itself 
in  »  war  t  they  have  been  known  to  all  people ;  the  same  mind 
which  would  invent  m||^ts  of  protection  for  th'i  person  of  a  sin- 
gle individuvl,  would  also  devise  the  means  oi  securhy  tolargc 
bodies  of  inen.  It  is  no  dilficult  matter  to  account  for  the  dis- 


ANTKiUITtni^BOOK  It 


lU 


,UM  of  fortificitUoM  Ainoiigtt  \3m  IrnUaMt  wiieo  vt  contldcr  ih0 
incradible  diminution  off  thfiir  uumberat  mkI  the  Uule  uae  pi 
Iheii*  furu  itgalnikt  the  .wliUof  i  ]r«tinlb<i  two  l»tt  tUifiM  of  xnuni. 
PerioTt  in  ihe  wtar  off  tho  Nalchva  (.17d9)t  tbMl.unfetiuonte  poo* 
plo,  w«r«  uEale  to  withitMid  U»o  upprm^chM  mnd  <;*niHMi  of  tbt 
onemy  lor  nearly  two  monthi.  ImLiy*  lo  luiJUnciful  deicr^tlon 
of  Kentucky!  a>icjt*t  UuU  the  InflUne  were  aot  itp^uidnted  wjtli 
Ihe  tt«e  of  fonifieiMioni.  Ciirver  i»  Abe  Artt  who  nutlcee  tttese 
fontificMtkoBt  •nd.c;Qn»iUer»  ihem  ••  beyond  the  ingmiujity  of  thf 
Indinns.  The  French  iwriteri»  who  moat  pitobubly  pbtervcd  them, 
do  not  apeak  of  them,  a  proof  that  they  bad  no  doubt  aa  to  their 
origini  nor  tho^ght  of  attributing  them  to  utty  others  than  <ihf 
natiwa  of  the.  country.  On  my  voyage  up  the  JVIiaaouri,  1  oh^, 
served  the  ruina  of  several  villugea  which  had  been  abandoned 
twenty  or  thirty  ycwtfatand  wUicii,  in  every  reppect  reaemlbled 
the  veitigea  on  the  Ohio  and  Miaaiaaippi.  On  my  arri  «d  at  the 
Arikptrt^  aod  Miuiden  vUlfigep,  i  found  them  awrroundod  hgr  pv> 
lisadep.  l.have  au^poaed  theae  iKeatiget  to.be  nothing  move  thiui^ 
the  .aitea  of  ftaUitadoed  .to.wnaiQr  vUUge^tjundoot  mene  lamif 
ficationa.  Thii  outtom  ^of  pialUeiM)mng«4t|)p«iiKa  to  ^ay«  4»e«Qn  ye* 
ueral  amotys  .the  .northern  trAbes;  iji  js  mentioneu  by  ihe  icartiaelt 
^ravc^ilcra.  ^n  iha  library  of  New  OrleMiVh  1  iuund  two  work«.«t 
preient  .put  of  print»  which  contributed  in  cemuvil^j(  aU  douihl 
from  my  mind;  th.e  9ne  it  by  («Apiteau,  a  Learned  Jloauit*  mA 
which  it  lometimea  quoted  by  Dr.  Rulaertaonahe  pthf:r  it  a  lin- 
gular mixture  of  fabie  and  (40^  by  oue  I^a  Houiou,  pubiiaiied 
1&7B,  bvibre  the  discovery  of  the  Mia«iM>pp>  im  iu  full  vxiqnt. 
This  writer  pretend*  to  have  travelled  on  the  part  whk^  if  »- 
bovo  the  Miaaouri.  Buih  thete  works  conudn  a  tmmb^r  of  CV* 
riouB  engravings,  in  which)  lonongtt  pth<M'  thiu|s««  iUM  iiirttfied 
lowns  are  represented. 

That  no  Wei»it  UAtion^exiite  at  prenent  on  chia  contlMot*  h 
beyond  a  doubt.  Dr.  Burton  ha*  taken  great  p«f.n#  tp  aaccrtain 
the  languages  spoken  by  those  tribes,  east  of  the:  ffliwisiuppi, 
and  the  Welsh  fiinis  no  place  amongst  thein  i  mucc  the  ceaaion 
of  Louiaiunn,  the  tribes  west  uf  tiie  Misfbaippi  have  been  au0i« 
cienlty  known ;  we  have  had  intcrcourae  with  them  ail,  but  no 
Welsh  arc  yet  found*    In  the  year  1799, »  young  Welahm«B  tf 


/> 


•> 


IM  VIEWS  OF  LOUIBIANA. 

the  ntihe  of  Eviihsv  ascerifl^lAiVHIissoari,  in  ci^lil|ilTiy' whli 
'Makef,and  retn^fted  tyroycats*  In  thAt  country;  he  spoke  both 
the  iui«lent  and  modem  Welsh,  asid  addressed  himself  to  every 
/  nation  between  that  river  •  :nd  New  Spain,  but  found  no  Welsh- 
men. When  we  r<  fleet  upon  the  difftcnltics  that  such  a  colony 
would  have  to  encounter  amidst  ferocious  savages,  is  it  |>rob&. 
ble,  that  isolated  and  unassisted,  they  could  tiave  been  able  to^x- 
ist  ?  The  history  of  all  the  European  establishments,  inform  us, 
that  thejr  were- opposed  by  the  natives  with  f^rtii  ferocity.  The 
Welsh  would  certainly  either  form  considerable  establishments, 
or  be  totally  annihilated ;  to  exist  in  a  distinct  and  separate  tribe, 
irithout  preserving  any  of  their  arts,  and  without  gaining  a  supe- 
riority over  the  Indians,  but  on'  the  contrary  adopting  their  knan- 
ners,  is  absolutely  impossible. 

Besides  the  fortifications,  there  ate  other  remdns  "scattered 
throughout  the  western  country,  much  more  difficult  to  ac6oi^nt 
for,  and  to  which  the  Welsh  can  lay  no  tlaim  It  is  worthy  of 
observation,  that  all  these  vestiges  invariably  occupy  the  most 
elii^ible  situations  for  townd  or  settlementsr;  and  on  the  Oliio 
Mid  Mississippi,  they  are  most  numerom  ind  considerable.— 
There  is  riot  a  rising  town  or  a  farm  of  an  eligible  situation,  in 
whose  vicinity  some  of  them  niaf  not  be  fbund.  I  have  heard  a 
surveyor  of  the  public  lands  observe,  thai  wherever  any  of  these 
remains  were  met  with,  he  wus  sure  to  find  an  extensive  body 
)  ^  of  fertile  land.  An  immense  population  has  once  been  support- 
ed in  this  country.  Thes<i  vestiges  maf  be  classed  under  three 
different  heads— 1,  the  waited  towns  or  fortifications,  of  which  I 
have  already  spoken;  3,  barrows,  or  places  of  interment;  3, 
inounds -or  pyramids. 

S.  Barrows,  such  as  described  by  Mr  Jefferson,  afd  exti'eme- 
ly  numerous  in  every  part  of  the  western  country.  The  traces 
•^  of  a  village  may  be  always  found  near'them,  and  they  have  been 
Used  exclusively,  as  places  of  interment,  at  least  of  deposit  for 
the  dead.  The  height  is  usually  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  sur- 
rounding ground,  the  shape  manifesting  little  or  no  design.-— 
These  accumulations  may  be  attributed  to  the  custom.prevaTent 
nmongst  the  American  tribes,  of  collecting  the  bones  of  such  as 
^fjpined  t(t  a  dirtiance  from  their  liomes,  in  battle,  or  otherwise, 


ANTIQUITIES.— BOOK  U. 


u#. 


ind  at  ttated  periods  placing  them  in  some  common  tomb.  The 
barrows  wore  not  the  only  rccepucht;  cavemt  were  also  'ted» 
and  placet,  which*  from  lieing  extraordinary,  wete  considered 
the  residence  of  Manatoos  or  spirits. 

3.  The  mounds  or  pyramids  appear  to  me  to  belong  to  a 
period  different  from  the  others.  They  are  much  inoi'e  ancient) 
and  9tt  easily  distinguished  from  the  barrows,  by  their  size  and 
the  design  which  they  manifest.  Remains  of  pdlisadoed  towns 
are  found  in  their  vicinity,  which  may  be  accounted  for  from  the 
circumstance  of  the  mounds  occupying  the  most  eligible  siwua* 
tions  for  Tillages,  or  from  the  veneration  of  the  Indiana,  for 
whatever  i^ppears  extraordinary.  From  the  growth  of  trees  on 
some  of  them,  they  show  an  antiquity  of  at  least  several  hundred 
years.  The  Indians  have  no  tradition  as  to  the  founders  of  themi) 
though  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  when  we  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  those  people^  they  were  used  as  places  of  defence. 
The  old  chief  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians,  told  Mr.  Bice  Jones, 
that  in  the  wars  of  his  nation  with  the  Iroquois,  the  mounds  in 
the  American  bottom  were  used  as  forta.  In  pne  of  the  plates 
of  Lapiteau's  work,  there  is  a  representation  (of  an  attack  on  tn 
Indian  fort,  which  is  evidently  constructed  upon  one  of  the 
mounds:  its  form  is  circular,  the  cn<;)paure  of  large  pickets,  and 
heavy  beams  on  the  ouuidO)  extending  to  the  ground  on  which 
the  mound  stands.  Those  inside  defend  themselves  with  stones, 
arrows,  fcc.  w|iile  the  assailants  are  either  aiming  their  arrows 
at  such  as  appear  above  the  Wall,  or  endeavoring  tp  set  fire  to 
the  fort  UAtil  I  saw  this  engraving,  I  had  frequently  doubted 
whether  these  elevatbns  of  earth  were  intended  fpr  laty  other 
purpose  than  places  of  interment  for  their  great  chiefs,  or  as 
yites  for  temples.  Thc»tt  were  probably  the  iirst  .objects,  but 
experience,  at  the  tumt  time,  taught  them  that  they  might  also 
answer  as  forts {  perhaps  the  veneration  for  these  sacred  places 
might  induce  the  h^dians,  when  invaded,  to  make  their  fina\ 
stand  in  th^ir  temples,  which  therefore  becapi>e  strong  holds.--# 
This  is  conformable  to  the  history  of  most  nations  of  the  world. 


/» 


'k. 


^^. 


>.0> 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  S72-4503 


<i°  ..  ^^ 


im 


VIEV/S  OP  LOUISIANA. 


/> 


The  mounds  at  Gr^ve  creek  .^nd  Marietta  have  been  fhir 
nutely  described,  but  in  poin^  of  in«gnitude  vbey  FhU  fur  short 
of  others  which  1  have  seea 

To  form  a  more  correct  idea  of  these,  it  -will  be  necessary 
to  give  the  reader  some  vievir  of  the  tract  of  country  in  which 
they  are  situated.  The  Jmrrican  bottom,  is  a  tract  of  rich  allu" 
vion  1  .nd,  extending  on  the  Mississippi,  from  the  Kaskaskia  to 
the  Cahokiu  river,  about  eighty  miles  m  length,  and  five  in 
breadth;  sweral  handsome  streams  meander  through  it ;  the 
soil  of  the  richest  kind,  and  but  little  subject  to  the  effects  uf  the 
Mississippi  floods.  A  number  of  lakes  are  interspersed  through 
it,  with  high  and  fine  bankt>;  these  abound  in  fish,  and  in  the  au- 
tumn are  visited  by  millions  of  wild  fowl.  There  is.  perhaps, 
no  spot  in  the  western  country,  capable  of  being  more  highly 
cultivated,  or  of  giving  support  to  a  more  numerous  population 
than  this  valley.  If  any  vestige  of  ancient  population  were  to 
be  found,  this  would  be  the  place  to  search  for  it — according- 
ly, this  tract,  as  also  the  bank  of  the  river  on  the  western  side,*^ 
exhibits  proofs  of  an  immense  population.  If  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia and  its  environs,  were  i.'^serted,  there  would  not  be 
more  numerous  traces  of  human  existence.  The  great  number 
of  moundS)  and  the  astonishing  quantity  of  human  bones,  every 
where  dug  up,  or  found  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  with  a 
thousand  other  appearances,  announce  that  this  valley  was  at  one 
period,  filled  tvith  hcbitations  and  villages.  The  whole  face 
of  the  bluff,  or  hill  which  bounds  it  to  the  east,  appears  to  have 
been  a  continued  buriftl  ground. 

But  the  most  remarkable  appearances,  are  two  groupes  of 
mounds  or  pyrainids,  the  one  about  ten  miles  above  Cahokia, 
the  other  nearly  the  same  distance  below  it,  which  in  all,  exceed 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  of  various  sitees.  The  western  side,  also, 
contains  a  considerable  number. 

A  more  minute  description  of  those  above  Cahokia,  which  I 
vi«ited  in  the  fall  of  1811,  will  give  a  tolerable  idea  of  them  all. 


•  The  Saline,  below  St.  GeneVleve,  cleared  out  some  time  ago,  and 
deepened,  was  found  to  contain  tvagoil  loads  of  earthen  ware,  some 
fratymenls  bespeaking  vessels  as  large  as  a  barrel,  and  proving  that  the 
ifiinea  had  been  worked  before  they  were  knovm  to  the  whites.- 


AKTIQUITIE9.— BOOK  II. 


n? 


t  crossed  the  Misstsuppi  at  St.  Louis,  and  after  passing 
through  the  wood  which  borders  the  river,  about  half  a  mile  in 
width,  entered  an  extensive  open  plain.  In  1 5  minutes,  I  found 
myself  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of  mounds,  mostly  of  a  circular 
ahape,  and  at  adistance,  resembling  enormous  haystacks  scatter^ 
ed  through  a  meadow.  One  of  the  largest  which  I  ascended,  was 
about  two  hundred  paces  in  circumference  at  the  bottom,  the 
form  nearly  square,  though  it  had  evidently  undergone  consider- 
able  alteration  from  the  washing  of  the  rains.  The  top  was  le- 
vel, with  an  area  sufficient  to  contdn  several  hundred  men. 

The  prospeot  from  this  mound  is  very  beautiful ;  looking  to- 
wards the  bluffs,  which  are  dimly  seen  at  the  distance  of  six  or 
eight  miles,  the  bottom  at  this  place  being  very  wide,  I  had  a 
level  plain  before  me,  varied  by  isleta  of  wood,  and  a  few  solita- 
17  trees ;  to  the  rignt,  the  prairie  is  bounded  by  the  horizon,  to 
the  left,  the  course  of  the  Cahokia  may  be  distinguished  by  the 
margin  of  wood  upon  its  banks,  and  crossing  the  valley  diagon- 
ally, S.  S.  W.  Around  me,  I  counted  forty-five  mounds,  or 
pyramids,  besides  a  great  number  of  small  artificial  elevations ; 
these  mounds  form  something  mor&  than  a  semicircle,  about  a 
jnile  in  extent,  the  open  space  on  the  river. 

Pursuing  my  walk  along  the  bank  of  the  Cahokia,  I  paissed 
eight  others  in  the  distance  of  three  miles,  before  I  arrived  at 
the  largest  assemblage.  When  I  reached  the  foot  of  the  princi- 
pal mound,  I  was  struck  with  a  degree  of  astonishment,  not  un- 
like that  which  is  experienced  in  contemplatmg  the  Egyptian 
pyramids.  What  a  stupendous  pile  of  earth  I  To  heap  up  such 
a  mass  must  have  required  years,  and  the  labors  of  thousands... 
It  stands  immediately  on  the  bank  of  the  Cahokia,  and  on  the 
side  next  it,  is  covered  with  lofty  trees.  Were  it  not  for  the  re- 
gularity and  design  which  it  rnanifests,  the  circumstances  of  its 
being  on  alluvial  ground,  and  the  other  mounds  scattered  around 
it,  we  could  scarcely  believe  it  the  work  of  human  hands.— i 
The  shape  is  that  of  a  parallelogram,  standing  from  north  to 
south ;  on  the  south  side  there  is  a  broad  apron  or  step,  ab^ut 
half  way  down,  and  from  this,  another  projection  into  the  plaii^ 


m 

:  H,u 

':#■. 
mi 


m 


VIEWS  OP  LOUISIANA. 


/> 


Cbout  fifteen  feel  wide,  which  was  probably  intended  as  an  ascent 
to  the  mound.   By  stepping  round  the  base  I  computed  the  cir- 
cumference to  be  at  least  eight  hundred  yards,  and  the  height  of 
the  mound  about  ninety  feet.   The  step,  or  apron,  has  been  used 
as  a  kitchen  garden,  by  the  monks  of  La  Trappe,  settled  near 
this,  and  the  top  is  sowed  with  wiieat.  Nearly  west  there  isano- 
ther  of  a  smaller  size,  and  forty  others  scattered  through  the 
plain.     Two  ere  also  seen  on  the  bliilT,  at  the  distance  of  thr^e 
miles.     Several  of  these  mounds  are  almost  conical.     As  the 
award  had  been  burnt,  the  earth  was  perfectly  naked,  and  I  could 
trace  with  ease,  any  unevcnness  of  surface,  so  as  to  discovet' 
whether  it  was  artifiQiul  or  accidental.   I  every  where  observed 
a  great  number  of  small  elevations  of  earth,  to  the  height  of  a 
few  feet,  at  regular  distances  from  each  other,  and  which  ap- 
peared to  observe  some  order ;  near  them  \  also  observed  pieces 
of  flint,  and  fragments  of  earthen  vessels.    1  concluded,  that  a 
very  populous  town  had  once  existed  here,  similar  to  those  pf 
MexicO)  described  by  the  first  conquerors.    The  mounds  wer« 
sites  of  temples,  or  monument^  to  the  great  men.     It  is  evi- 
dent, this  codld  never  have  been  the  work  of  thinly  scattered 
tribes.    If  the  human  species  h<id  at  any  time  been  permitted 
in  this  coantry  to  have  increased  freely*  and  there  is  every  pro- 
bability of  the  fact,  it  must,  as  in  Mexico,  have  be conie. astonish- 
ingly numerous.    The  same  space  of  ground  would  have  suf- 
ficed to  maintain  fifly  times  the  number  of  the  present  inhabi- 
tants, ttith  ease ;  their  agriculture  having  no  othtr  object  than 
jnerc  sustetiance.   Amongst  a  numerous  population,  the  power 
of  the  chief  niust  necessarily  be  more  absolute,  and  where  there 
are  no  laws,  degenerates  into  despotism.    This  was  the  case  in 
|4exico,  and  in  the  nations  of  South  America ;  a  great  number 
0f  iojcUviduals  were  at  the  disposal  of  the  chief,  who  treated  them 
little  better  than  slaves.    The  smaller  the  society,  the  greater 
the  consequence  of  each  individual.     Hence,  there  would  not 
be  wanting  a  sufficient  number  of  hi^ids  to  ^rect  mounds  or 
pyramids. 

Hunter  and  Dui^ar  describe  a  mound  at  the  junction  of  the 
GlRtAhpula,  Washita  ai\dl  Jensa  rivers,  very  similar  in  shape  to 


'Mv 


ANTIQUITIES --BOOK  II. 


199 


the  large  one  on  the  Cuhofciti.  I  saw  it  last  summer :  it  has  a  stej) 
or  apron,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  group  of  len  or  tw  .;lTe  other 
mounds  of  a  smaller  sise.  In  the  vicinity  of  New  Madrid^ 
th«re  nre  a  number;  one  on  the  bank  of  a  lake,  is  at  least  four 
hundred  yards  in  circumference,  and  surrounded  by  a  ditch  at 
least  ten  feet  wide^  and  at  present,  five  feet  deep ;  it  is  about  for- 
ty feet  in  height,  and  level  ra  the  top.  I  have  frequently  ex- 
amined the  mounds  at  St.  Louis:  they  are  situated  on  the  se- 
cond bank  just  abo^e  the  town,  and  disposed  in  a  singular  man- 
ner; there  are  nine  in  all)  and  form  three  sides  of  a  parallelo- 
gram, the  open  side  towards  the  country,  being  protected,  how- 
ever, by  three  smaller  mounds,  plticed  in  a  circular  manner.  Tlie 
space  enclosed  is  about  four  hundred  yards  in  length,  and  two 
hundred  in  breadth.  About  six  nundred  yards  above  there  is  a 
single  mound,  ivith  a  broad  stage  on  the  river  side ;  it  is  thirty 
feet  in  height,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  length ;  the  top  is  a 
mere  ridge  of  five  or  six  feet  wide.  Below  the  first  mounds 
there  is  a  cUrious  WOrk^  called  the  Falling  Garden.  Advantage 
is  taken  of  the  ^eotid  bank,  nearly  fifty  feet  in  height  at  this 
place,  and  three  Tegular  stages  or  steps,  are  formed  by  eartli 
brought  from  a  distanee.  This  work  is  much  admired*— it  sug- 
gests the  idea  of  a  place  of  assembly  for  the  purpose  of  coun- 
selling, bn  public  occasions.  The  following  diagram  may  con- 
vey a  more  (H^cise  idea. 


A^The  tlvee  sides  of  a 
pArAllelogrHm. 

B—The  single  mound. 
lC--^The  FidUni^-^xrden. 


t 


A 

A 


A 
A 
A 


B 

2. 


&lVER. 


,^ 


tn  tfacing  tfie  origin  of  institutions  or  inveAtions  amongst 
men,  we  arc  apt  to  forget,  that  nations,  however  diversified  by 
manners  and  languages,  are  yet  of  the  same  sprcics,  and  that  the 
same  institutions  may  originate  amongst  twenty  cUfiefent  people. 
Adair  takes  great  pains  to  prove  a  similarity  of  customs  between 


190 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA, 


the  American  f  ibes  and  the  Jews ;  Lapiteau  shews  the  existence 
of  a  still  greater  number  common  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans  i  the 
result  to  the  philosophic  mind  is  no  more  than  this,  that  the  A- 
merican  tribes  belong  to  the  human  race,  and  that  men,  without 
any  intercourse  with  each  other,  will,  in  innumerable  instances, 
fall  upon  the  same  mode  of  acting.  The  wonder  would  be,  that 
they  should  not  shew  a  resemblance.  Man  is  every  where  found 
in  societies,  under  governments,  addicted  to  war,  hunting,  or  ag- 
riculture, and  fond  of  dances,  shows,  and  distinction.  Perhaps 
th>.' first  employment  of  a  numerous  population  when  not  en- 
gag",  d  Tn  war,  would  be  in  heaping  up  piles  of  earth,  the  rudest 
and  most  common  species  of  human  labor.  We  find  these 
mounds  in  ever/  part  of  the  globe ;  in  the  north  of  Europe,  and 
in  Great  Britain,  they  are  numerous,  and  much  resemble  ours, 
but  less  considerable.  The  pyramids  of  Egypt  are  perhaps  the 
oldest  monuments  of  human  labor  in  that  country,  so  favorable 
to  the  production  of  a  numerous  population.  The  pyramids  of 
Mexico,  which  are  but  little  known,  and  yet  scarcely  less  con- 
siderable, like  those  of  £<*>rpt  have  there  origin  hid  in  the  night 
of  oblivion  Hu  iboldt  is  of  opinion,  that  ^*  these  edifices  must 
be  classed  with  the  pyramidal  monuments  of  Asia,  of  which 
traces  were  found  even  in  Arcadia ;  for  the  conical  mausoleum 
X)f  Callistus  was  a  true  tumulus,  covered  with  fruit  trees,  and 
served  for  a  base  to  a  small  temple  consecrated  to  Diana."  The 
Greeks,  who  were  successful  in  the  chariot  races  at  the  Olym- 
pic games,  to  shew  their  gratitude  to  their  horses,  gave  them 
an  honorable  burial,  and  even  erected  pyramids  over  their  graves. 
The  great  altar  of  Jupiter,  at  Olympia,  was  nothing  more  than  a 
huge  mound  of  earth,  with  stone  steps  to  ascend.  Humboldt*  re- 
marks with  astonishment,  the  striking  similarity  of  the  Asiatic 
and  Egyptian  pyramids,  to  those  of  Mexico.  The  similarity  of 
those  which  he  describes,  to  the  mounds  or  pyramids  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, is  still  more  striking,  but  not  a  matter  of  so  much  won- 
der. The  only  diffc  rence  is,  that  a  few  of  the  Mexican  pyramids 
are  larger,  and  some  appear  to  have  been  faced  with  stone  or 


*  See  Appendix,  No.  I. 


ANTIQXnTlES.— BOOK  H. 


191 


brick.  Like  those  of  Mexico,  wherever  there  has  been  a  consid* 
erable  town,  we  find  two  large  pyramids,  supposed  to  represent 
the  sun  and  moon,  and  a  number  ot  smaller  ones,  to  represent  the 
stars.  There  is  very  little  doubt  but  that  they  originated  with  the 
same  people,  for  they  may  be  considered  as  existing  in  the  samo 
Country.  What  is  the  distance  between  Red  river  und  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  iatendancy  of  Vera  Cruz,  in  whi  :h  the  pyramid  of 
Papantla  is  situated  ?  little  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  days  journey. 
Even  supposing  there  were  no  mounds  in  the  intermediate 
space,  the  distance  is  not  such,  as  to  preclude  the  probability  of 
intercourse.  There  is  no  obstruction  in  the  way;  a  coach  and 
four  has  been  driven  from  Mexico  to  Nacogdoches. 

The  Mexican  histories  give  uncertain  accounts  of  the  origin 
of  those  works,  nor  are  the  antiquarians  able  to  form  any  satis- 
factory hypothesis.  They  are  attributed  by  some  to  the  Toul- 
tec  nation,  as  far  back  as  the  ninth  century,  who  emigrated  to 
Mexico  from  the  north,  perhaps  from  the  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi ;  and  by  others,  to  the  Olmec  nation,  still  more  ancient, 
who  came  to  Mexico  from  the  east.  A  curious  discovery,  made 
a  few  years  ago  in  the  state  of  Tennessee,  proves  beyond  a 
doubt,  that  at  some  remote  period  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
bad  been  inhabited  by  a  much  more  civilized  people,  than  when 
first  known  to  us.  Two  human  bodies  were  found  in  a  coppe- 
ras cave,  in  a  surprising  state  of  preservation.  They  were  first 
wraped  up  in  a  kind  of  blanket,  supposed  to  have  been  manu- 
factured of  the  lint  of  nettles,  afterwards  with  dressed  skins,  and 
then  a  mat  of  nearly  sixty  yards  in  length.  They  were  clad  in 
a  beautiful  cloth,  interwoven  with  feathers,  such  as  was  manu- 
factured by  the  Mexicans.  The  flesh  had  become  hard,  but  the 
features  were  well  preserved.  They  had  been  here,  perhaps, 
for  centuries,  and  certainly  were  of  a  different  race  from  tho 
modern  Indians.  They  might  have  belonged  to  the  Olmec,  who 
overran  Mexico  about  the  seventh  century,  to  the  Toultec,  who 
came  centuries  afterwards,  or  to  the  Aztecs,  who  founded  th* 
great  city  of  Mexico,  in  the  thirteenth  century. 

These  subjects  can  only  bewilder ;  every  nation,  in  tracing 
back  its  history,  must  finally  lose  itself  in  fable.  The  Aztec 
TMexican)  mode  qf  preserving  their  chronicles,  must  necessv- 


^ 


..P 


19^ 


VIEWS  OF  LOUISIANA. 


Tily  have  been  defective ;  the  Egyptians  could  lay  but  little  better 
claim  to  authenticity.  The  simple  fact  of  the  emigration  to  the 
cbuhciy  of  the  Oim  !cs,  or  Toultecs,  may  be  relied  on,  but  as  to 
the  time  and  circumstances,  we  must  look  for  very  slender  ac- 
counts. It  is  only  sutce  the  invention  of  letters  that  we  can  form 
4  well  grounded  hope  of  the  permanency  of  human  institutions, 
of  the  certainty  of  history,  and  of  the  uninterrupted  progresj  of 
improvements.  Had  this  noble  invention  been  unknown «  liow 
many  of  our  most  useful  arts  would  have  been  lost  during  that 
night  of  barbarism,  c^iied  the  dark  ages ! 

A  French  writer  has  fancifully  observed,  that  civilization 
arises,  de  la  fermentation  dune  nomhreuae  peufilade^  and  that  it 
vouUi  be  as  idle  to  expect  this  result  without  a  numerous  po* 
pulation^  as  to  think  of  making  wine  by  the  fermentation  of  s^ 
■single  grape.  Experience  shews,  that  a  numerous  population 
will  always  be  attended  with  some  degree  of  improvement,  be- 
cause,  bA  Mr.  Jefferson  observes^  the  chances  of  improvement 
are  multiplied.  It  is  not  without  reason,  that  the  Creator  gave 
bis  command  to  increase  and  multiply,  since  many  of  the  intel> 
lectual  £aicuUie«  would  not  otherwise  be  completely  unfold- 
ed. It  is  not  every  country,  however,  which  can  of  itself  attain 
the  full  extent  of  the  population  of  which  it  may  be  rendered 
susceptible.  In  unftiendly  soils  and  climates,  nature  must  be 
forced  by  the  arts  and  labors  of  agriculture,  to  afford  sustenance 
for  a  numerous  population-  The  inhabitants  of  such  have  there- 
fore been  usually  found  in  wandering  tribes,  engaged  in  con- 
stant wars,  and  probably  unable  ever  to  originate  their  own  ci- 
Tilizution.  A  mighty  warrior,  at  the  head  of  his  own  tribe, 
might  subdue  the  tribes  around  him,  and  form  a  little  empire, 
and  peace  being  secured  to  a  great  proi^ortion  of  his  subjects, 
their  numbers  would  increase,  but  it  would  fall  into  fragments, 
long  before  the  useful  arts  could  be  invented.  It  has  ever  bren 
4n  the  mildest  climates,  gifted  by  nature  with  plenty,  that  civili^ 
nation  has  had  its  origin.  Egypt  and  fruitful  Asia,  first  became 
possessed  of  a  numerous  population,  and  first  cultivated  the  arts 
and  sciences.  In  America  civilization  Brst  appeared^  in  similar 
«limates,  whefre  nature,  with  little  help  from  man,  produces 
a(l^Uhdanc^  of  food,    In  b^th  the  old  and  the  new  world,  the 


ANTIQtnnBS.— BOOE  IL 


t« 


delefttuJ  Vfvk  kindled  in  thbse  happjr  climes,  iroix\A  be  carried 
to  less  favored  regions,  ^ut  thb  humaii  race  has  eVerjr  where 
experienced  terrible  revolutions.  Pestilence;  war,  and  the  con- 
vulsions of  the  globe,  have  annihiiated  the  proudJest  works,  and 
rendered  vain  the  noblest  eiftbrts.  Ask  not  the  sage,  by  whomt 
and  when,  were  erected  those  lingering  ruins,  the  "  irail  me- 
morials" of  ages  Which  have  long  since  been  swallowed  up  in 
the  ocean  of  time ;  ask  not  the  wild  Arab,  where  inajr  be  ifound 
the  owner  of  the  superb  palace,  Within  whbse  broken  walls  he 
casts  his  tent ;  ask  not  the  poor  fisherman)  as  his  sjpreads  his  nets^ 
or  the  ploughman,  who  whistles  oVer  the  ground,  where  is  t^ar* 
thage.  Where  is  Trbjr,  of  whose  splendor,  historiafas  and  poets 
have  so  much  boasted !  Alas  \ « they  have  vanished  IProm  the  things 
that  be,"  and  have  left  but  the  melancholy  lesson,  oj^  the  insta- 
bility 6t  the  mpSt  stupendous  laborS)  and  the  vanity  of  ^mm^r*^ 
tality  on  earth ! 

In  the  Wanderings  ot  fancy,  t  iiave  somibtin^es  conceived  this 
hemisphere,  like  the  other,  to  have  experienced  the  genial  ray 
of  civilization,  tod  to  have  been  mhabited  l^  a  niimerous,  polite^ 

;reat  revolutions  havi 
that  Mexico,  PerU> 


and  enlightened  people.*  Why  may  not  gret 
been  experienced  in  America  t  Is  it  certaini  < 


*  Even  this  idea,  strange  and  novel  as  it  may  Seeid,  itiight^  Ky  in  in- 
genious theorist,  have  an  air  of  importance  giveii  to  it^  by  bringing  in> 
to  view,  some  va^^e  passages  of  ancietat  authors.  Hato,  ih  ebe  of  bM 
(dialogues,  ispeaks  of  a  j|>eople,  whid  had  coihc  frbkh  th'o  Atliditic  in  gr*av 
nunibern  j  and  overran  the  grieater  part  of  Europe  and  Asia.  Many  ^\r^ 
tuihstances  related  of  the  island  of  the  Atlantic,  cbtrfetipbnd  witK  Ame- 
rica. This  occurrenbe,  to  which  Plato  alludes,  was  considered  of  ^&t 
bntiiquity,  and  preserved  by  obsbure  tradition.  The  island  v^aa  said  to 
have  been  sunk  by  an  earthquake.  The  fact  is  certain,  that  araonirSt 
the  Greeks,  there  prevailed  a  belief  of  the  existence  of  another  cont'- 
nent,  in  the  Atlantic  dcean,  and  inhabited  by  a  |>owerful  people.  Who 
in  remote  antiquity,  had  invaded  the  old  WoHd  Amongst  the  Romans 
Vho  bbrrowed  the  g^eiatfer  Jjart  of  thei^  learning  from  the  tJreeks,  the 
Same  belief  prevailed.  Seneca  hai  this  remarkable  p&^sage :  ••  Tn  ages  to 
cttme,  the  seas  will  be  traversed,  and  in  spite  of  the  Wind  and  waves  ava- 
rice and  pride  will  discover  a  New'AVorldj  and  Thuie  shall  be  no  longer 
considered  ihe  extreme  part  of  ihe  globe."  Mons.  Peyroiix  has  in.  a 
very  ingenious  essay,  rendered  it  even  probable,  that  the  aivcienia  had 


r-% 


.  m 


A  a 


afi^  Cliiir/wfien  nM  ^isii^'d  by  Kurgpeunsr.exInbitiSa  ofiiy'^infc 

duwnof  hviiizalion ?  t*f  niupoit  was  tlic  fif'Tetl^nfjprouch doonK-d 

tdBuflteVtt  ¥clui)8c,lictorc  till,  sacred  nitmc  ciJulil'  b1rf  cxlehdfcd'lo 

otfief'  poi-^tioha  bli^iii  conlincii't:  perhaps,  ui  some  distuht  peribtf 

fht'flumt  Hud  beeii  Widely  spiviid,  and  again  ixlTngulbhed  ny 

tKe  c^i^Kton  cheriiics  elf  the  Viuman  ivce.     ttut  1  a'ni  uskccl,  if 

tnUYTutt'^een  tfie  cusc,  should  wu  not  ice  intiubitt^e  j>r66fs,  ih 

A^  '!^ema1rtepTai»tKiuItyi  cdiificcs  o¥  stoned  lAiAesV  and' luboHoUft 

^'6rii3ol  Wnian  haiids. "  I  •insWel',  that  naliiie  Is  evci' laboi"ih(^ 

te  rcstpre  m4sfeif,  sfie  T»  ever  enga^eA  in  ieplaV-.th^  in  ft^  Jiilmi- 

tive  Slate,  wnat«vcr  CTiungcs  the  haijd  of  man  ipay  effectin  Mt 

a{)pcAraJi.ce.    Excavations  of  the  earih  wpMld  be  nlkd  up  by  the 

hs^d  of  tinr^e,'  and  pilcif  o'^  stoiifc  when  sep^rattd  ^rom  the  llviiip 

rock,  would  ci«nib]e  into  dust.     America  may  have  Tjeen  less 

fdi'tunate'tli^  Euibpc  in  those  happy  inventions  which  serve  in 

some  measure  lo  purpetuuie  improvements,  apd  vei,'ih  some  o'lf 

the  arts  she  may  liuve  attained  »(  greater  exicetlep'ci.'   iThe  cha- 

if^ditt  dt'^tt  ci vuizaiioA''  may  have '  been  drfttrent  from  any  of 

l^i*^!^  Vi-e  have   a'*  kiiowledge,  and  iiefrela'psfc  produced  by 

iJ!dVf4Mi)l'\^hich  wS^c^  Ibrm!  ribtjoi  ' 

^^■'^Vlfe  ^il  a§!fe>;ti^ir><i  age  of  Aiv^eft<^,'^^Ji»<)if>feai«y 

different  from  that  allowed  to,  what  husi  been  denominated,  the 

•<i»d  WhSy   A'fiit^hiplitity'bi'  pt'bbls  e^htraditt  the  recency  of 

"hei*  frt-igih i  deeply  imbedcfed  iitorts  bt  c.rbbnated  wood,  the 

traces jof  aiiclent  yplcbnoes !  ^  I, could  appeal  on  this  subjyct,  to 

lier  il;n.0-wpn>  Q^arii^^tSf  Mid  channels  at  mighty  rivers,  una  to 

.her/ vQiK«r«ble  mountains,  whichmue  when  the  Creator  laid  thq 

;foi^idations;of  the  e«irttvi  Wlum^the  eyt^'Ot  Eurape  first  beheld 

Jier,  did  »he  app^&r  bmlM^fyt^littve  sprung  frbm  the  «teep^ 

'No,  ikie  t«htdtncd  innutiT6r!A)le  and  pecuHui*  plants  atitl  animdlSi 

she  Vas  iivhahlted  bv  thouscintjsi  of  Indiaivs.  possessing  different 

'lat)gl>aj^es^  manners,  aiijd  appearances.     C^iapt  then,  that  Ame- 

TJica  may  hav,e  existed  u  ip\y,  thousand  y^rs;  the,  same  causes 

prevailifxg)  U^e  effcotfi  ivUlbfB  produced^  the  a«)iue  revolutions 

bcunaequatnted  with  Amerlda  ih  Very  fctnUie  afttitiUity.    Plato  places 
ihe  destruction  k>f  the  Atlantitl-cs,  at  nine  thdttaand  years  before  hit 

tame.  I'^HJi'-    ■.      ■  ■:''■■ 


ANLIQUITIES  —BOOK  U. 


195 


AS  havft  been  known  in  the  old  world  may  have  taken  plac^ 
here. 

Before  the  invention  of  letters,  there  would  be  a  constant 
succession  of  advances  to  civiliziition,  and  of  rclupHcs  to  barba« 
rism.  The  Chaldeans,  ihrouf^h  the  glimmer  of  ancient  history, 
arc  represented  to  us  as  the  first  inventors  of  the  arts;  but  may 
not  those  people  have  been  preceded  by  the  same  revolutions 
as  have  succeeded  them.  In  lon^;^  and  arduous  advances,  they 
might  attain  to  a  great  height  in  civilization,  and  wars,  pesti- 
lence, or  other  calamities,  precipitate  tl»cm  to  the  state  of  the 
barbarian  or  the  suvage.  It  is  true,  the  traci-s  of  art  would  long 
remain  undefaced;  but  they  would  not  remjun  forever:  Time 
would  obliterate  them. 

«'  He  grasp'd  &  .if  ro'a  antique  bust, 

The  marble  crumbkd  into  dust, 

And  sunk  beneath  the  shade." — sbllqck  osborne. 


.Vi 


TO  THE  READER. 


# 


THE  rea'ler  will  easily  discover  that  this  Journal  contains  lit- 
tle more  than  Imsty  notes,  taken  with  the  intention  of  being  ex- 
tended and  enlarged  at  leisure  :  but  not  regarding  nriy  voyage 
of  us  much  importance  os  I  had  imagined  it  would  be,  when  I 
undertook  it,  this  idea  hts  been  aba'^tloned  I  might  have  rela- 
ted many  anecdotes  and  amusing  incidents,  quorum  magna  fiara 
fui^  confided  to  memory,  and  have  added  many  remarks  on  In- 
dian masiners.  1  took  some  pains  in  making  vocabularies  of  six 
or  seven  diflfcrent  Indian  languages,  but  being  informed,  that 
Lewis  and  Clark  had  formed  much  greater  collection»  than  my 
opportunities  would  admit,  I  have  not  thought  proper  to  muke 
v.se  of  them  With  respect  to  the  nainrai  history  of  ihe  coun- 
try, I  have  hopes  that  Mr.  Bradbury  will  favor  the  world  with 
the  result  of  his  observations.  I  havo  ccMifined  myself  chiefly  to 
ouch  obsetvations  on  the  face  of  the  country,  as  would  give  an 
idea  of  its  capacity  for  the  reception  of  population. 

For  the  table  which  accompanies,  I  am  indebted  to  general 
Clark  I  take  this  opportunity  of  acknowledging  my  obligations 
to  that  gentleman,  who  politely  favored  me  with  every  mcaus 
of  information  in  his  power. 


'tA^\ 


)  • 


till   . 

07Mi     •"  J^< 


JOURNAL 


Of 


:iu', 


^(ri 


A  VOYACIE,  &c. 


'I  «•■(■  ii 


CttAFlTEri  I. 


*i> 


y  ».-'-* 


an 


JWLr.  MaNC^  LtSA,  t)f  whom  t  have  spoken  in  the 
«  Views,"  was  cho&cn  hy  the  company,  to  take  tlie  mdiia^ement 
df  its  affttifft  Oft  the  Missouri,  atid  Endeavor  to  rettnevt-  thsfn  if 
[io^sliile.  'tht  hfofiti  exptdtc-cl,  otving  td  a  variety  of  unforeseen 
iidSfAhlinfes,  had  not  been  realized ;  indeed,  it  appeared  to  be  a 
ptt'ifiiiWn^  opinion^  tiiat  the  situatidn  of  the  company  was  dea- 
pttttik'.  Besldcivthe  loss  by  Are,  at  the  Sioux  establish mtnt,  and 
thfeltb^iliiy  6f  the  Blackfoot  Indians,  the  remnant  of  the  com- 
pWtiy'sWiert,  tinder  Mr.  Henry,  had  crossed  the  Hocky  moun* 
tuitiS,'"utitl  it  WiHl  not  known  what  had  become  of  them.  To  aS- 
cevtak)  tii^A,  was  therefore  another  object  of  the  expedition^ 
and  if  possible,  to  carry  them  assistance.  Mr  Lisa,  also,  pri- 
viittl^  ehtcrtain6d  the  hope  of  being  able  to  make  peace  with  the 
Blackfoot  Indians,  ind  to  be  permitted  to  rcniain  quietly  in  the 
country,  which  offered  the  greatest  advanta^ji'S  to  the  cotnpai.y. 
A  person  better  qualified  for  this  arduous  undertaking,  coul', 
not  have  bdien  choicft  Mr.  Lisa  is  not  surpassed  by  any  one,  in 
tfhc  r^iquisite  experience  in  Indian  trade  and  manners  and  haS 
few  equals  in  perseverance  and  indefatigubic  industry.  Ardent, 
bold  and  enterprising,  when  any  undertaking  is  U  gun,  no  dan- 
gers, or  sufferings  arc  sufBcient  to  •vercome  his  mind.    I  be- 


\ 


% 


./f.i 


Soo 


JOURNAL. 


Ueve  there  arc  few  men  bo  completely  master  of  that  secret  of 
doing  much  in  a  short  space  of  timet  which  arises,  from  turning 
every  moment  to  advantage,  as  will  appear  in  the  Course  of  the 
Journal.  This  panegyric  is  due  to  Mr  Lisa,  and  it  would  be 
unjust  in  me  to  withhold  it,  after  the  many  marks  of  attention 
I  received  from  him.  Unfortunately,  however,  from  what  cause) 
I  know  not,  the  majority  of  :he  ntembers  of  the  company  have 
hot  the  confidence  in  Mr  Lian^  wnlch  he  60  highly  merits;  but 
on  this  occasion,  he  Was  intrusted  with  the  sole  direction  of  their 
affairs,  in  some  degree,  from  necessity,  as  the  most  proper  per- 
son to  conduct  an  expedition,  which  appeared  little  short  of  des* 
pcrate.  The  funds  of  the  company  were  at  so  low  an  ebb,  that 
it  was  with  some  difficulty  u'Jarge  of  twenty  tons  could  be  fitted 
out,  with  merchandise  to  the  amount  of  a  few  thousand  dollars, 
and  to  procure  twenty  hands  and  a  patron.  The  members  were 
unwilling  to  stake  their  private  credit,  where  prospects  were  so 
little  flattering.  This  was  also  the  last  year  appointed  for  the 
continuance  of  the  association,  and  there  was  no  certainty  of  its 
being  rene "  id. 

With  respect  to  myself,  t  must  own  to  the  reader,  that  t  had 
no  other  native  for  undertaking  a  tour  of  several  thotisand 
miles,  througli  regions  but  seldom  marked,  even  by  the  Wander- 
ing footsteps  of  the  savage,  than  the  mere  gratification,  of  what 
he  will  term  an  idle  curiosity:  and  I  must  confess  that  I  might 
have  employed  my  time  more  beneficially  to  myself,  and  mote 
usefully  to  the  community.  Would  that  I  were  able  to  make 
some  amends,  by  describing  the  many  interesting  objects  which 
\  witnessed,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  cnuble  the  reader  to  parti- 
cipate in  the  agt*ceable  parts  of  my  peregrinations* 

We  sef.  off"  from  the  village  of  St.  Charles,  on  Tuesday  the 
3d  of  April,  1811,  with  delightful  weather.  The  flood  of  March, 
which  immediately  succeeds  the  breaking  upol  the  ice,  had  be'* 
gun  to  subside,  yet  the  water  was  still  high-  Our  barge  was  the 
best  titat  ever  ascended  this  river,  and  mantled  with  twenty  stouc 
oars-men.  As  Mi-  Lisii  had  been  a  sea  captain,  he  took  much 
pains  in  rigging  his  botit  wttli  a  good  mast,  and  main  and  tup- 
sail  ;  these  being  great  helps  in  the  navigation  of  this  river.  Our 
rquipage,  chiefly  con)poscd  of  young  men,  though  several  have 


jotmNAi. 


SOI 


uli'^ady  made  a  Voya{i|;b  to  tlv  upper  Missouri,  of  Mrhich  tliejr 
arc  exceedingly  proud,  and  on  that  accoUnt  claim  a  kind  of  pre 
cedence  over  the  rest  of  the  crew.  We  are  in  all,  twevty^five 
men,  well  armed,  and  completely  prepared  for  defence.  There 
in,  besides,  a  swivel  oiv  the  bow  Of  ihe  boat,  which,  in  case  of  at- 
tack, WoUld  make  a  formidable  appearance  i  we  have  also  two 
brass  blunderbusses  in  the  cabin,  one  over  my  birth,  and  the 
other  over  that  of  Mr.  Lisa.  These  precautions  were  absolutely 
necessary  from  the  hostility  of  the  Sioux  bands,  who,  of  late  had 
committed  severid  r.iurders  and  robberies  on  the  whites,  and 
manifested  such  a  disposition  that  it  was  believed  impossible  for 
us  to  pass  through  their  country.  The  greater  part  of  the  mer'> 
chandise,  Whibth  consisted  of  strouditig,  blankets,  lead,  tobacco^ 
knives,  guns;  beads,  Stc.  was  concealed  in  a  false  cabin,  ingeni- 
ously contrived  for  the  purpose;  in  this  way  presenting  as  little 
as  poscible  to  tempt  the  saVages.  But  wo  hoped,  that  as  this 
was  not  tho  season  for  the  coming  on  the  Hver  of  the  wanderin^^ 
tribeii,  the  fati  being  the  Usual  time,  we  might  pass  by  unnoticed. 
Mr.  Wils\>n  P.  Hunt  had  set  oif  with  a  large  party,  about  twen- 
ty^hree  days  before  us,  on  his  way  to  the  Columbia;  we  anx- 
iously hoped  to  overtake  him  before  he  entered  the  territory  of 
the  Sioux  nation;  for  this  purpose  it  was  resolved  to  strain  eve- 
ry nerve,  as  upon  it,  in  a  great  measure  depended  the  safety  of 
our  voyage.  i 

Having  proceeded  a  few  miles  above  St.  Ciiarles,  we  put  to 
shore,  some  of  uur  men  still  remaiiiing  at  the  village.  It  is  cx^ 
cctdingly  difficult  to  make  a  start  on  these  voyaged,  from  the  rer 
luctance  of  the  men  to  terminate  the  fiolic  wilti  their  friends, 
which  usually  precedes  their  departure.  The/  set  in  to  drink- 
ing and  carousingiand  it  h  impossible  to  collect  them  on  board. 
Sometimeft  they  make  their  carousals  ut  the  expense  of  th6 
Bourgeois;  they  are  credited  by  the  tavern  keeper,  vrho  knows 
that  their  employer  will  be  compelled  lo  pay,  to  prevent  the  de- 
lay of  the  voyage.  Many  vexatious  abuses  are  practised  in  these 
casest  It  Was  found  impossible  to  procecu  «kny  further  this  even- 
ing; the  men  in  high  glee  from  the  liquor  they  had  drank  before 
stB'ting;  they  were  therefore  permitted  to  take  their  swing.,  u; 

'         '  Db 


t 


-SifcS'i'^v 


.m-^ 


.roURWLt 


/> 


We  had  on  Ijoard  a  Frenchman  named  Charbonet,  with  his* 
\vifc,  an  Indian  wo  uiin  of  the  Suuke  nation,  both  of  whom  had 
accompanicti  Lewis  and  Clark  to  the  P^tciiic,  and  were  of  great' 
service.  The  woman,  a  good  creature,  of  u  mild  and  gentle  dis- 
position, greatly  attached  to  the  whites,  whose  manners  and 
dress  she  tries  to  imitate,  but  she  had  become  sickly,  and  long- 
cd  to  revisit  her  native  country;  her  -iiusband,  also,  who  had 
spent  many  years  amongst  the  Indians,  was  become  weary  of  a 
civilized  life.  So  true,  it  is,  that  the  attachment  to  the  savage 
state,  or  the  state  of  nature,  (with  which  appellation  it  has  com- 
monly been  dignified,)  is  much  stronger  than  to  that  of  civili- 
zation,  with  all  its  comforts,  its  refinements,  and  Its  security. 

Wednesday  Afiril  5d.  About  two  o'clock  i:i  the  afternoon, 
having  at  length  succeeded  in  getting  all  hands  on;  board,  wc 
proceeded  on  our  voyage.  Found  an  excessive  current,  aug- 
mented by  the  state  of  the  waters.  Having  come  about  six  miles, 
encamped.  In  the  course  of  this  evening  had  as  much  reason 
to  admire  the  dexterity  of  our  Canadians  and  creoies,  as  I  hud 
before  to  condemn  their  ftivoliiy.  1  believe  an  American  could 
not  be  brought  to  support  with  patience  the  fatiguing  labors, 
and  submission,  which  these  men  endure.  At  this  season,  when 
the  water  is  exceedingly  cold,  they  leap  in  without  a  moment's 
hesitation.  Their  food  consists  of  lied  corn homony  for  break- 
fast, a  slice  of  fut  pork  and  biscuit  for  dinner,  and  a  pot  of  mush 
for  supper,  with  a  poUnd  of  tallow  in  it.  Yet  this  is  better  than 
the  common  fare ;  but  we  were  about  to  make  an  extraordinary 
voyage,  the  additional  expense  was  not  regarded. 

Thursday  Ath.  Last  night  we  were  completely  drenched 
by  the  rain ;  the  whole  parly,  the  bark  itself,  in  a  bad  condi- 
tio,! this  morning.  Weather  somewhat  cloudy— clearing  up.-— 
A  short  distance  from  ouf.  encantpment,  ihe  hills  approach  the 
rivii  N.  E»  sine;  they  are  not  high,  but  rocky,  and  do  not  con. 
tinue  more  than  a  mile,  wlien  the  alluvion  again  commencus.— 
Aiiout  8  a  £ne  breezo  S.  £— ^sailed  until  12; — passed  several 
plantations  S.  W.  side.  The  bottoms  very  ext'^nsive  on  the  low- 
er part  of  chis  river,  the  banks  high,  far  above  the  re  ch  of  in- 
undation. Timber,  principally  cotton  wood ;  a  few  ot  the  trees 
intermixed  with  it,  are  beginning  to  vegetate.    The  red-buO, 


J0miN4L 


'2ttJ 


the  tree  which  blooms  eaiTu'st  hi  our  woods,  and  so  tnlich  admi- 
red by  those  who  descend  the  Ohio  early  in  the  spring,  vpptars 
in  A  few  places.  Passed  an  island  where  the  river  widens  con- 
siderably ;  the  current  rapid,  obliged  to  ubttmlon  ours  and  poleS) 
and  take  the  towing  line.  Above  the  island  the  high  land  again 
approaches  the  river;  there  is  a  bsownish  colored  rock,  with  a 
few  dwarf  cedars  growing  on  the  top  and  in  the  clefts.  In  going 
too  near  shore,  we  had  the  misfortune  to  have  our  top  mast  bro- 
ken by  the  projecting  limb  of  a  tree.  Encamped  some  distance. 
This  evening  serene  and  beautitul;  the  sand-bars  begin  to  ap- 
pear; several  deer  seen.  1  observed  on  the  sand-bars,  a  kind  of 
sciiffolds,  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  height,  which  I  was  informed 
were  erected  by  the  neighboring  settlers  for  the  purpose  of 
shooting  the  deer  by  moon  light,  which  usually  come  out  of  the 
tluckets  at  this  time,  to  avoid  the  musketocs  and  to  sport  on  the 
smooth  beach :  the  hunter  ascends  the  scaffold,  and  remains  un- 
til the  deer  approaches.  Came  this  day  about  twenty  miles;  na- 
vigation comparatively  easy. 

Friday  Sfh.     Wind  S.  E.  this  morning,  enabling  us  to  set 
oif  under  sail — continued  until  ten,  when  it  forsook  us.     Pass- 
ed several  plantations,  and  two  islands.     The  bluffs  disappear 
on  the  N.  E.  side,  and  are  seen  on  the  S.  W.  for  the  first  time 
since  our  leaving  St.  Charles.     They  rise  about  two  hundred 
feet,  and  are  faced  with  rock,  in  masses  separated  by  soil  and 
vegetation.     These  are  called  the  Tavern  roclts,  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  a  cave  in  one  of  them  affording  a  stopping  place 
for  voyagers  ascending,  or  on  returning  to  their  homes  after 
a  long  absence.    The  Indians  seem  to  have  had  some  venera* 
tion  for  the  spot,  as  it  is  tolerably  well  scratched  over  with  their 
rude  attempts  at  representing  birds  and  beasts.     From  this 
place,  through  a  /oMg-  rcach^  or  straight  part  of  the  river,  we  have 
a  distant  view  of  the  terminating  bluffs  N.  E.  side.    A  violent 
storm  of  rain,  wind,  and  thunder,  compelled  us  to  put  to 
shore,  having  passed  a  very  dangerous  and  difBcult  place.     The 
nomber  of  trees  which  had  lately  fallen  into  the  river,  and  the 
danger  to  be  apprehended  from  others,  which  seemed  to  have 
but  a  slender  hold,  rendered  our  situation  extremely  disagreea- 
ble.   Towards  evening,  a  canoe  with  six  or  seven  men  passed 


/^ 


m 


;.i 


204 


JOVKHklu 


4m  the  other  sidci  but  we  were  unable  to  distinguish  them.  At 
this  plrtce  1  measured  a  c(>tton*wood  tree,  which  was  thirty- six 
|eet  in  circumference;  they  grow  lurger  on  the  lower  parts 
of  this  river,  than  perhaps  any  where  else  in  America.  The 
bluffs,  in  the  course  of  this  day  appeared  higher,  but  not  so  ab- 
rupt or  rocky. 

Saturday  6tA.  Having  passed  a  small  willow  island,  we  got 
beyond  the  hills  on  the  S.  W.  side.  At  1 1  o*clockt  the  wind 
became  so  high,  that  we  were  cpmpelled  \o  stop,  as  it  blew  di* 
rectly  down  the  river.  This  is  near  Boon's  settlement — AI>out 
«ixty  miles  from  St.  Charles.  A  number  of  plantations  at  the 
edge  of  the  bottoni.  The  whid  having  abuted  in  the  evening, 
we  proceeded  a  tew  miles  further,  and  encamped. 

Sunday  7th.  Water  rising.  Crossed  to  the  S.  \y.  side, 
and  encouuteied  a  very  swift  current,  at  the  head  of  the  willow 
island.  The  difiiculty  of  this  navigation  is  not  easily  described. 
Mude  Point  Lubadie,  so  called  from  a  French  trader,  who  for- 
xnerly  wintered  here.  Forty  years  ago  this  was  thought  a  dis- 
tant point  on  the  Missuuri,  at  present  there  are  tolerable  plan- 
tations every  where  through  the  bottom.  The  carcases  of  se- 
veral drowned  buffaloes  passed  by  us;  it  is  said  that  an  unusual 
numb?r  of  them  hab  been  drowned  this  year — Some  have  been 
seen  floating  on  the  river  at  St.  Louis.  A  gentleman  lately  de- 
scended, declares  that  he  counted  forty  on  the  head  of  an  island, 
Immediately  below  Point  Labadie,  the  ^•iver  contracts  its  breadth, 
and  is  confined  to  a  channel  of  three  or  four  hundred  yards  wide. 
Passed  between  an  island  and  the  ntain  shore ;  a  very  narrow 
channel,  but  the, current  and  distance  less  A  channel  ol  this 
sort  is  often  taken  in  preference,  and  it  is  one  of  the  means  o^ 
facilitating  the  ascending  uf  this  uncpmmoniy  rapid  river:  but 
there  is  someti^nes  danger  of  the  upper  en«i  being  closed  with 
logs  and  billets  of  wood  matted  together,  as  it  turned  out  in  the 
prt  sent  instance;  fortunately  ufier  the  labor  of  an  1  our  we  were 
able  to  remove  the  obstacles,  else  we  should  liave  been  compell- 
ed to  return.  Opposite  the  head  of  the  i»land  there  is  a  toh  ra- 
rable  log  house,  and  so^ne  land  cleared ;  tiie  tenant,  a  new  comer, 
with  a  wife  and  six  childrep,  had  uotljingto  give  or  sell.  H<re 
the  banks  &11  in  very  much:  the  river  more  than  a  mile  wuie. 


ra- 

er, 

re 

Mde. 


JOURNAL. 


io& 


A  gi'cat  impediment  in  opening  lands  on  this  river,  is  the  dilapi- 
dation of  the  b^nks,  which  immediately  ensue  when  the  trees  ,<7 
^rc  cut  itw<ty,  from  the  rapid  current  acting  upon  a  light  soil  of 
a  texture  extremely  loose.  It  will  be  found  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  leave  the  trees  to  stand  on  the  borders  of  the  river.  The 
river  exceedingly  crooker'  in  the  course  of  this  day.  A  num« 
bcr  of  plantatiqns  on  both  sides.  Having  made  about  fourteen 
miles,  we  put  to  shore,  after  passing  a  very  difiicult  embarraa.  . 
This  word  needs  some  explanation  Independent  of  the  cur- 
rent of  tlvit  vast  volume  of  water  roiling  wi<h  great  impetuosity^ 
the  navigation  is  obstructed  by  various  other  impediments.  At 
the  distance  of  every  mile  or  two,  and  frequently  at  less  distant 
intervals,  there  are  embarraa^  or  rafts,  formed  by  the  collection 
of  trees  closely  matted,  and  extending  from  twenty  to  thirty 
yards.  The  current  vexed  by  these  intcrruptipns,  rushes  round 
them  with  great  violence  and  force.  We  may  now  judge  what 
a  boat  encounters  in  grapling  round  these  rafts.  When  the  oars 
and  gi'apling  hooks  were  found  insufficient,  the  towmg  line  was 
usually  resorted  to  with  success.  There  is  not  only  difficulty 
here,  but  considerable  danger,  in  c^se  the  boat  should  swing 
round.  In  bends  where  the  banks  fall  in,  as  in  the  Mis^iissippi, 
trees  lie  for  some  distance  out  in  the  river,  (n  doubiin^^  points,  in 
passing  sawyers,  difficulties  are  encoKntered.  The  water  is  ge- 
nerally too  defip  to  admit  of  poling;  it  would  be  absolutely  im-  yi 
possible  to  siem  tiie  current  further  out  than  a  few  yards  ;  ihf^ 
boat  usually  pusses  about  this  distance  from  the  bank.  Where 
the  bank  has  not  been  washed  steep,  which  is  most  usually  the 
case,  and  the  ground  newly  formed,  the  young  trees,  of  the  wil- 
low, cotton-woori  Sec.  which  overhang  the  stream,  afford  much 
assistance  in  pulling  the  boat  along  with  tl>c  hands. 

Monday  Sf/i.  The  wutcr  fell  last  night  as  much  as  it  ht^d 
risen.  About  ten  came  in  sight  of  a  little  village  N.  E.  side  cal- 
led Chbrette.  There  are  about  thirty  families  here,  who  hunt, 
and  raise  a  litile  com.  A  very  long  island  lies  in  the  bend  in 
which  this  village  is  situated.  Above  this  island,  passed  under 
a  gentle  breeze,  some  very  handsome  bluffs,  S.  W.  side  to  the 
iale  aux  Boeu/h ;  they  are  about  one  hundred  feet  high,  and  ex- 
cepting in  a  few  {^aces  where  rocks  appear,  covered  with  oak 


\%i  -^ 


/i4 


206 


JOURNAL. 


and  other  timber.  At  this  pbce,  the  river  makes  a  considernbf^ 
bend  Instead  of  taking  the  main  channel,  we  entered  a  smuUer 
one  between  the  island  and  the  shore,  which  will  shorten  the 
distance;  the  current  not  so  strong.  The  channel  is  about  fifty 
yards  wideband  very  handsome,  having  clean  even  banks,  andxe- 
sembling  a  small  river.-— It  is  about  four  miles  in  length. 

Through  all  these  islands,  and  on  the  Missouri  bottoms, 
there  are  great  quantities  of  rushes,  commonly  called  scrub 
grass  *  They  grow  four  or  five  feet  high,  and  so  close,  as  to 
render  it  very  disagreeable,  as  well  as  difficult,  to  pass  through 
the  woods.  The  cattle  feed  upon  them  in  the  winter,  answer- 
ing the  same  purpose  as  the  cane  on  the  Mississippi. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  iale  aux  Boeufsy  we  were  conipeIN 
ed,  about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  to  put  to  shore,  on  account 
of  a  violent  storm,  which  continued  until  after  dark.  In  the  bad- 
ly constructed  cabin  of  our  boat,  we  were  wet  to  the  skin : 
the  men  were  better  off  in  their  tents,  made  by  a  blanket  stretch* 
ed  over  twigs. 

We  have  been  accompanied  for  these  two  days  past,  by  a 
man  and  two  lads,  ascending  in  a  canoe.  This  evening  they  en- 
camped close  by  us,  placing  the  canoe  under  shelter  of  our  boat. 
Unsheltered,  except  by  the  trees  on  the  bank,  and  a  ragged 
quilt  drawn  over  a  couple  of  forks,  they  abode  "  the  pelting  of 
the  pitiless  storm,"  with  apparent  indifference.  These  people 
are  well  dressed  in  handsome  home  made  co'.ton  cloth.  The 
man  seemed  to  possess  no  small  share  of  pride  and  self  import- 
ance, which,  as  1  afterwards  discovered,  arose  from  his  being  a 
captain  of  militia.  He  borrowed  a  kettle  from  us,  and  gave  it 
to  one  of  his  boys.  When  we  were  about  to  sit  down  to  supper, 
he  retired,  but  returned  when  it  was  over;  when  asked,  why  he 
had  not  staid  to  do  us  the  honor  of  supping  with  us;  "I  thank 
you,  gentlemen,*'  said  he,  licking  his  lips  with  satisfaction,  '^  I 
have  just  been  eatuig  an  excellent  supper." — He  had  scarcely 
spoken,  when  the  fiatron^  came  to  inform  Mr  Lisa,  they  were 


*  This  is  the  case  for  ?everal  hundred  miles  up  the  Missouri, 
f  The  Patron  is  the  fresh  water  sailing'inaster. 


J0URT7AU 


M 


begging  him  for  a  biscuit,  as  they  had  eaten  nothing  for  two 
days  1  our  visitant  was  somewhat  disconcerted,  but  passed  it  off 
'with,  «  Poh !  I'm  sure  they  can't  be  suflTcring !" 

He  resides  on  the  Gasconade ;  was  the  second  family  which 
settled  in  that  quarter,  about  three  years  ago.  He  has  at  pre- 
sent about  350  men  on  his  muster-roll.  Wc  were  entertained 
by  him  with  a  long  story  of  his  having  pursued  some  Pottawato- 
mies^  who  had  committed  robberies  on  the  settlements  some 
time  last  summer ;  he  made  a  narrow  escape,  the  Indiups  hav« 
ing  attacked  his  party  in  the  night  time,  and  killed  four  of  bis 
men  after  a  desperate  resistance.  The  captain  htt  on  board  a 
barrel  of  whiskey  to  set  up  tavern  with,  a  bag  of  cotton  for  his 
"wife  to  spin,  and  a  couple  of  kittens,  for  the  purpose  of  aug* 
xnenting  his  family :  these  kept  up  such  doleful  serenadeay  du- 
ring the  night,  that  I  was  scarcely  able  to  close  my  eyes. 


I'       .')      '         t   :'.)D  iii\i 


CHAPTER  II. 


'  Tuesday  9th.  Set  off  this  morning  with  a  light  breeze^  which 
continued  to  augment  until  ten,  when  from  a  change  in  the  course 
of  the  river,  it  was  unfavorable  for  two  or  three  miles.  Passed 
a  number  of  plantations  on  both  sides,  aiid  isle  a  la  Lontr;  which 
is  about  twelve. miles  long,  and  two  wide,  near  the  N.  £■  side ; 
it  has  a  compact  settlement.  In  the  course  of  the  duy  we  lost 
sight  of  our  Captun  of  the  Gasconade,  who  was  not  able  to  keep 
up  with  us  in  his  canoe. 

Passed  at  four  o'clock,  the  Gasconade,  a  considerable  river> 
S.  W.  side,  which  rises  with  the  Maramek,  and  has  been  as- 
cended upwards  of  one  hundred  miles,  in  canoes ;  but  its  chan- 
nel is  rockj  and  rough.  It  is  ninety  miles  from  the  mouth  <>r  the 
Missouri.  The  lands  on  its  borders  arc  bj^ken  and  hilly,  and 
badly  wooded.    Before  readuii^  the  Gasconade,  we  passed  jfi 


s-i 


1 


ils 

ym\ 

iS*-! 

Wm 

k:,j 

wSm 

uHM 

,''  i'!'iai!ii 

■  h  " 

«'B9lHII 

»r. 

i^Kll 

;. 

lues 

:^^iiiiii 

.i! 

Plain  1 

H  i 

ririn!] 

m 

II 


206 


JOUBNAL. 


long  r&n});e  of  blaffst  or  rather  hills,  well  covered  With  wood,  but 
tertninatini)^  at  the  entrance  ct  the  river  in  rocky  precipices ; 
this  range  appears  again  on  the  other  side  of  tne  Gasconade..^ 
There  is  a  very  long  reach  here,  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles ;  the 
Gasconade  hills,  on  the  S.  W.  side,  are  washed  by  the  Missouri 
the  whole  of  this  distance.  This  day  wus  sufficient  to  prove  the 
efficacy  of-our  sails,  in  navigating  this  rivet- ;  we  passed  with 
ease,  places  much  worse  than  any  we  had  enrottntered  since 
leaving  St.  Charles.  Encamped  six  miles  above  the  Gasconade} 
heavy  rains  lust  night. 

Wfdnesday  XOth.  Cloudy — crossed  to  the  bluffs.  N  E  side, 
^  nich  are  high  and  rocky.  Passed  Montbrun's  tavern  and  riVer; 
another  stopping  place  for  voyagers  Passed  an  (ftttbatran,  N  £• 
side,  the  most  difficult  since  we  started.  There  are  wide  bottoms 
above  these  biuffit,  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  The  wind  against 
\js  throughout  the  whole  of  this  day  The  verdure  is  observed 
to  be  rapidly  increasing ;  the  smaller  trees  and  shruiis  are  alrea- 
dy in  gay  green.  From  the  color  of  the  water  on  the  S  W  side, 
h  appears  that  the  Osage  river  is  paying  the  annual  tribute. 

Thursday  llth.  A  fine  morning.  Current  so  strong  S.  W. 
side,  from  the  waters  of  the  Osage,  that  we  were  pompcllfd  to 
cross  to  an  island.  Hills  on  th^  -Ifi:  £.  side,  not  high  or  locky : 
continued  on  this  side  to  ascend  throughout  the  day,  though 
-with  difficulty,  on  account  of  numerous  embarras,  and  fulling  m 
of  the  banks.  This  is  a  fine  country :  the  lands  extremely  rich, 
and  covered  with  a  great  vitfiety  of  trees.  Stopped  a  f  w  mo- 
ments at  the  cabin  of  a  Frenchiban,  who  is  beginning  to  opeii  a 
plantation.  In  company  with  the  interpreter^  1  proceeded  by 
land,  across  a  point,  a'uOUt  two  miles  to  the  village^  of  Cote  «an« 
Deesdn,  where  we  arrived  nearly  three  hours  before  the  burge. 
\Ve  inquired  with  eagerneas  after  the  party  of  Mr.  Hunt;  we 
were  informed  that  he  hud  passed  this  place  twenty-one  days 
Ago.  Thus  far,  it  appears  that  we  have  gained  but  two  days  up- 
wi  him.         •    T'       ...  .   'J  .u;w  ^^jj-i  ^ijiuv;  ^t-bu  .  .  '    .' 

Fridatj  \2th.  Weather  line-i«a  gentle  Bi^e'sie  on  the  river 
firom  S.  E.  Remained  here  until  eleven,  engaged  in  repairing 
mir  cnUn,    Mr.  Lisa  here  employed  a  fauaaous  httuterj.named 


Journal. 


aofl 


tastof,  a  Kansas  Indiani  who  had  been  brought  up  from  infancy 
amongst  the  whites. 

The  Cote  safia  Deaann^  is  a  beautiful  place,  situnted  on  the 
N.  E.  side  of  the  river,  and  in  sight  of  the  0:>age.  It  will 
in  time  become  a  considerable  village.  The  beauty  and  fertil- 
ity of  the  surrounding  country  cannot  bo  surpassed.  It  is  herd 
that  we  met  with  the  first  appearance  of  prairie,  on  the  Missou- 
ri, bui  it  is  handsomely  mixed  with  wood  land.  The  wooded 
country  on  the  N.  E.  extends  at  least  thirty  miles,  us  far  up  as 
this  place,  and  not  Ibss  than  fifteen  on  the  other  side.  The  name 
is  given  to  this  place,  from  the  circumstance  of  a  single  detachr* 
ed  hill  filled  with  limestond,  standing  on  the  bank  of  the  riveri 
about  six  hundred  yards  long,  and  very  narrow. — The  village 
has  been  established  about  three  years;  there  are  thirteen  French 
families,  and  two  or  three  of  Indians.  They  have  handsome 
fields  in  the  prairie,  but  the  greater  part  of  their  time  is  spent 
in  hunting.  From  their  dager  inquiries  after  merchandise,  I 
perceived  we  were  already  remote  from  the  settlements. 

We  continued  under  way,  with  a  light  breeze,  but  scarcely 
Sufficient  to  waft  tfie  barge  of  itselfj  without  the  aid  of  oars.-^ 
Handsome  wooded  upland,  S.  W-  side^  gently  sloping  to  the 
liver,  and  not  rocky.  For  many  reasons,  I  would  prefer  these 
situations  to  the  bottom,  where  the  soil  is  richer.  Passed  the 
Great  Osage  river,  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and  navigable  about  six  hundred  mileS. 
There  is  much  fine  land  immediately  on  its  borders,  but  the 
prairies  stretch  out  on  either  side,  and  to  the  westward  are  al- 
most boundless.  The  Osage  villages  are  situated  about  two  hun- 
dred miles  u^^ 

Passed  a  long  island,  called  L'iale  of  Cedre^  Cedar  island.  A 
number  of  islands  on  the  Missouri  bear  this  name,  from  the 
growth  of  cedar  upon  them,  in  this  particular,  differing  from  the 
islands  of  the  Mississippi.  In  this  island  the  best  part  of  the 
wood  had  been  cut  down,  and  rafted  to  St.  Louis,  to  supply 
the  settlements  with  this  wood,  of  which  there  is  a  great  cou« 
sumption. 

Throughout  the  course  of  this  day,  we  found  the  navigation 
less  arduous  and  painful ;  owing  principally  to  the  failing  of  the 

c  c 


i 


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JOCRNAt. 


/^ 


Waters,  and  to  oiiP  Uaving  ptisscd  one  of  ihose  rivers  which  atki 
to  the  current  oi'thc  Mibbuuri.  The  suiid  burs,  bc;u;iit  to  pre&cnt 
a  ptcaaing  uppcMrdiicc ;  several  miles  in  length,  clean  *m  smooih. 
Insttiid  oi  uscciiUing  along  cither  bide,  wc  pursued  the  middle 
of  the  rivev,  ulon^^  the  sand  ba<'».  Encamped  N.  C  side,  just 
iibovu  the  Cedur  isLnd.  The  bius  and  the  sides  of  the  rivur  are 
cverj  where  ?harked  with  deer  trucks. 

^'acurdctf  \^fh.  A  fine  morning — somewhat  cool — set ofT 
with  a  tuvorable  brJStae.  Passc'l  hills  on  the  S.  W.  side— saw 
five  or  six  deer  sporting  on  a  sand  bar.  Passed  the  Manitoo 
r^ocks,  S.  W.  side,  a  la  Bonne  Fe7n)Ke  creek.  Tlie  country  here- 
about, is  delightful ;  the  ifpland  sloping  gentlf  to  the  river,  tim- 
bered with  oak,  hickory,  ash,  8cc.  The  lands  on  this  stream  are 
^lild  not  to  be  siirpassed  by  uny  in  the  tert-iiory. 

After  havmg  had  a  favorable  wind  the  greater  part  of  the 
tliy,  ehcattipcd  at  thfc  Roche /lercve,  perforated  rock;  a  high 
cragg^  feliff  on  the  N.  E.  side.   This  is  the  narrowest  part  of  the 

river  I  have  yet  sfeeh  ;  it  is  scarce^  two  hundred  yards  wide 

Made  in  the  course  Of  this  day  about  twenty-eigiit  miles,  for 
TVhich  Wb  >fere  indebted  to  the  lavbruUle  wwid.  Some  of  us  con- 
sidered this  good  fortune,  -  reward  for  the  charity  which  was 
manifested  by  OS  yesterday,  in  speniting  an  hour  to  relieve  a 
poor  bxt  which  was  swamped  near  the  bunk.  The  poor  creature 
had  Remained  lierie  ten  oi*  twelve  days,  and  the  Sand  into  which 
he  had  siinki  wais  become  hard  and  solid.  The  wolves  had  paid 
him  friendly  visits  ft-om  time  to  ikne,  to  iniquire  after  ids  health, 
while  buiiards,  croW^^  and  ea'glesr,  lendci'ed  their  salutations 
frotij  the  boughs  bf  the  neighboring  trees. 

Sunday  \4ih.  Violent  wind  all  night — ^hoisted  sail  before 
^ay  light,  in  order  to  raWe  advantage  of  the  wind.  Pussed  the 
Maniton  on  the  N.  E.  Side,attd  high  rocks.  A  delightful  coun- 
try. Wind  slackened  about  ten%  At  twelve,  came  hi  sight  of 
the  hills  6f  Mine  river,  resembling  those  of  the  Gasconade.  At 
t^re'e,  the  Swind  again  rose— passed  the  Mine  river,  S.  W  side. 
"This  river  is  not  navigable  more  tlwn  ten  or  twelve  miles  Va- 
luable saltworks  are  es»  Jjlished  here.  The  wiiole  of  this  day 
"we  fouhd  rich  and  extensive  bottotns,  N.  E,  side,  and  beautiful 
sloping  nplaiid^  9»  W.  on  this  side  of  the  river  some  beaii- 


JOUnKAL. 


311 


xiM  situations  for  farms  and  pUiotutions.  The  lulls  nsc  tvitli  a 
moat  deliufluful  ascent  from  the  water's  c<lj>;e,  to  the  height  of 
forty  or  fifty  feet ;  the  vvoods  open  utmI  handsome.  The  lands 
on.  the  Mine  river,  reputed  excellent.  The  bouoms  on  th<-  N. 
E.  side  the  Missouri,  ancomnvonly  fine.  There  is  a  llour« 
ibhing  settlement  here.  As  this  is  Sunday,  the  ("ood  people 
were  dressed  out  in  tlieir  best  clothes,  and  came  in  groups  to 
the  bank  to  gaze  upon  us,  as  we  paascd  by  uAder  sail.  We  put 
to  shoie,  at  the  farm  of  Braxtpn  Cooper,  a  worthy  man,  who  has 
the  management  of  the  saltworks.  The  settlement  is  but  one 
year  old,  but  is  already  considerable,  and  increasing  rapidly ;  it 
consists  of  seventy-five  fumilies,  the  greater  part  Jiving  on  tho 
bunk  of  the  river,  in  the  space  of  four  or  five  miles.  They  arc, 
generally,  persons  in  good  circumstances,  mobt  of  them  have 
slaves.  Mr.  Cooper  informed  me  that  the  upland,  back,  is  the 
mostbeautiful  ever  beheld.  He  thinks  that  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Missouri  to  this  place,  t|ie  country  for  at  least  forty  miles 
from  the  river,  may  bear  the  character  of  fich  woodland  t  the 
prairies  forming  but  trifling  proportions.  This  place  is  two  hun- 
dred miles  up.  We  inquired  .for  the  party  of  which  we  were 
in  chase — they  had  passed  by  mneteeni\a,ys  before  us. 

Monday  ISth.  Sain  last  night,  but  without  lightning — from 
this  it  is  prognosticated  tliat  the  wind  will  continue  favorable  to) 
day.  Set  off  with  a  fair  wind,.butthe  course  of  the  rivorbecame 
utifavorable.  At  half  past  seven,  again  fair — continued  under 
sail  until. twelve.  Passed  handsome  upUtnd  S.  W.  side,  and.the 
two  Chareton  rivers  N.  £  iiad  to  oppose  in  the  course  of  the 
day  some  very  difBcult  placet.— <the  river  -e^ttyemely  crooked. 
While  the  men  were  towing,  they  chased  a  she  bearintoa4ioI- 
low  tree;  we  set  about  chopping. the  tree,  while  several  stood 
)vith  guns  presented  to  the  l>ole  at  which  she  had  entered,  about 
twenty  feet  up.  In  a  short  time  she. put  out  her  head  and  shoui« 
ders,  but  on  receiving  a  volley,. instantly  withdrew.  The  chop- 
ping  was  renewed ;  madam  Cuff  again  ap})f  ared,  and  was  salu^ 
as;  beforev  but  without  producing  the  same  effect,  as  she  leisutC- 
ly  crawled  doarn  the  tree,  and  attempted  to  make  off,  amidst' the 
shouts  of  fifteen  or  twenty  barbarians,  who  were  bent  on  the  4ey> 
structioivof  a  mother  and. her  little  famiky.   She  was  killod  witb 


/* 


• 


'1^ 


'  hi 
%1 


819 


JfOiniNAU 


f  fctroke  of  an  axe.  hiving  been  pteviousljr  severely  wounded.  |n 
the  hollow  syctunurc,  there  were  found  three  cubs  At  fivct 
hoisted  tiiii'  ;«iid  continued  until  seven,  having  this  day  nmde 
tW(MUy-ei'^»i(  milei.  't  owurds  evening,  passed  beat!  liful  undujA- 
ting  hills,  gently  sloping  to  the  river.  What  charming  situa- 
tions for  seats  and  farms ! 

Tueuday  \6f/i.  3et  off  without  wind— rthe  river  rising.  At 
f  level),  the  wind  so  much  against  us  Uiat  we  were  obliged  to  lie 
by>  At  three  we  coniiuued  our  voyage,  and  as  it  was  resolved  to 
tow,  1  set  out  with  niy  rifle,  expecting  to  meet  the  boat  at  the 
head  of  a  long  ocud.  This  h  the  Biiit  excursion  I  have  made  in« 
to  tne  country  «  p.:ni>:cd  throuj;!)  the  bottom  with  great  difficul- 
ty, on  uccount  of  the  rubhes,  which  grow  as  high  as  a  man's  head, 
9nd  jre  matted  with  vines  and  briarti.  The  beauty  of  the  upland 
in  some  degcoe  recompensed.  Clean  and  open  woods,  growth, 
Qitk,  hickory,  Qcc ;  the  grass  beginning  to  appear  green.  Saw  se- 
Yeral  deer,  and  abundance  of  turkcyb.  We  are  now  in  a  country 
lyhich  ttbounds  with  game.  1  cume  Ltc  m  the  evening  to  the 
boitt,  1  having  been  supposed  lost  ui  the  woods.  Our  hunter, 
liau  been  more  successful  than  I,  havii>.g  killed  a  she  bear  with 
four  cubs.  The  riyer  very  crooked  in  the  course  of  this  day.— 
!Fai»;:!  some  places  pf  tlUn  woods— not  quite  prairie,  on  the 
bank  of  the  riyer. 

fVednenetay  17 (it.  Breakfiisted  under  sail.  Passed  the  Grand 
rivei,  N>  £•  side.  It  is  two  huudn d  yards  wide  at  i^.s  mouth ;  a 
TO-y  long  river,  navigable  six  or  eight  hundred  miles,  and  tukes 
ifs  waters  with  the  river  Dca  Moinen.  The  traders  who  were  in 
the  habit  of  visiting  the  Mahas,  six  hundred  mites  above  this  on 
Uti  Missouri,  were  formerly  compelled  to  ascend  this  river  in 
order  to  avoid  the  Kotssas  Indians,  who  were  tlien  the  robbers  of 
tiit'  Missouri  There  is  a  portai^e  of  not  more  than  f  couple  of 
days,  troni  the  Grand  river  to  the  Mahas. 
■  ',^(sAt  the  confluence  on  the  lower  side,  there  is  a  beautiful  sit< 
Qati|»n,  I'he  bottom  is  a  handsonte  pruiiie,  which  is  seen  extend* 
ingi  for  the  first  time  on  the  Missouri,  to  chc  wutti's  edge,  *nd 
ahoMt  A  mi}e  in  width;  the  upland  then  risen  with  a  gentle  us- 
c«iu,  vrith  here  and  there  a  ft^w  clumps  of  trees.  Immcdjatety 
^H)K  point  of  junction^  there  arc  about  ^ly  acres  of  well  tim* 


JOtmH-^L. 


tu 


bered  land  Here  it  a  delighttul  situation  for  a  village  t  the  dit<* 
lance  ubout  two  hundred  and  forty  milet»  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Mibsouri  There  is  some  beautiful  country  tying  on  the  Grt^nd 
river,  but  deficient  in  wood.  In  fuct,  this  rivei  niuy  almost  be 
considered  the  boundtfi7  of  the  woodtd  upland  on  that  side  of 
the  river. 

Here  the  wind  failed  us.  The  Missouri  very  wide;  a  large 
bsr  in  the  middle.  The  b<iuuuful  (^recn  hills  of  tht  Little  Osage 
in  »n;ki-  But  for  the  single  defect  of  the  dilupidatiug  banks  of 
the  Misiiouri,  the  counti^  bordenng  on  iu  thus  far,  would  not 
bt  surpassed  by  any  in  the  world.  Spring  has  already  cast  her 
green  mantle  over  the  land  ;  and  the  scenery  every  where  as* 
Qumes  a  more  enlivened  appearance.  After  an  arduous  naviga- 
tioit,  cume  this  duy  ubout  twenty  n'iSes. 

Thuraday  Mith.  Heavy  raui  ttnt  night,  accompanied  by  unu- 
sual thunder  and  lightning.  St:t  off  ut  six,  weather  apparently 
clearing  up.  About  ten,  compelled  by  heavy  rain  to  put  to  shore 
until  tiiree,  when  we  again  shoved  oft',  came  a  few  miles  and  en- 
camped, N.  E  side. 

J'riilay  19 th.  Continued  our  voyage  at  daylight,  and  came 
through  a  long  channel,  bccween  an  island  and  the  shore.  The 
wind  S.  E.  but  the  course  of  the  river  such  us  to  disable  us  from 
profiting  by  it.  A  drizzling  tain,  and  the  weather  dibagrteablc. 
Wind  favorable  for  un  hour.  Passed  handsome  upiund  and  prai- 
rie S  W.  side.  There  was  formerly  a  viltago  of  the  LittU  Ob- 
ages  here,  but  from  the  frequent  attacks  of  the  Ayuwas,  they 
were  compelled  to  go  higher  up  the  river>  The  situation  is  fine. 
At  a  distance,  the  deep  green  herbage  on  this  open  ground  had 
much  the  appearance  of  u  wlicat  ficid. 

Encamped  late,  after  having  got  through  a  channel  with  con- 
siderable difficulty.  IMiu  kIowdcss  with  which  we  have  advanc- 
ed for  several  Aayn  past,  forms  a  conl^asl  witli  those  which  pre- 
ceded.    Water  rising. 

Saturdu'i  20ih  A  cold  disagreeable  morning.  The  men 
drenched  by  the  heavy  rain  ot  !i«ht  night.  Moisted  sail  about  six, 
buitne  wind  served  us  but  v.  shovi  dis'ance — Weather  clearing 
up — put  to  shore  for  on  hour  to  jIi  y  c  ur  tti':ct8.  Handsome  hills 
on  the  S.  W.  side.    Got  under  way  ut  tliiee)  along  the  N.  £. 


214 


JOURNAl, 


side.  One  of  the  -finest  tracts  of  land  I  have  se«n— a  grc^at  prp^ 
portion  of  the -timber  is  walnut*  ipoplar,  and  cotton  wood,  of  enor- 
mous size.  Entered  a  channel,  at  the  upper  end  of  which,  Tired 
upon  arflock  of  several  hutidred  pelicansj  standing  on  a  shoal.— 
llhese  birds  abound  very  much  on  the  Missouri)  but, aiHs  shy.*-- 
We  daily  kill  wild  fowl,  ducks,  geese,  brandt,  &c. — which  as- 
cend the  rtver  at  this  season  of  the  year,  to  breed.  Their  eggs 
ars  found  at  every  raoraentvon  Uie  sand  bars. 

Munday  2ist.  h  df^lightf ul  moening,  though  somewhat  cool. 
Got  under  way  eavly«— passed  through  ;the  chann^lr  and  crossed 
over:to  the  S.  W.  side.  Had  some  difficult  tmbarraa,  but  no 
great  'ourrent.  After  breakfttist,  took  my  gun,  and  struck  into 
the  woods.  On  ascending  the  hills  about  two  hundred  feet  in 
height,  I  had  a  fim  view  up  and  down  the  river  On  the  other 
side,  (K  E)  there  is  an  extensive  prairie  bottom,  apparently 
four  or  five  miles  wide.;  and  a  <evKl  plain  of  vast  extent  stretch- 
ing out  on  either  handf  of  rich  ul  uvion  soil,  from  the  appearance 
of  the  luxuriant  herbage.  There  is  a  singular  contrast  of  the 
sward  which  has  remained  unburnt«  and  the  extensive  tracts  of 
deep  green  of  the  grass  of  thi«  spring.  Beyond  the  plain,  the 
j)rairie  rises  into  upland,  of  abrupt  elevation,  and  in  a  thousand 
iantastic-forms,  but  without  a  shrub,  and  apparently  covered  with 
but  a  thin  coat  of  vegetation. 

On  this  side,  (S.  W.)>I  found  the, soil  of  the  upland  of  an 
excellent  quality---and. notwithstanding  the  r<*vages  committed 

by 'fire,;  the  woods,  principaliyhickory;  oak,  walnut,  ash,  Sec 

wtjre  tolerably  close. 

Returned  to  the  boat  about  four,  in  the  evening.  We  spent 
an  hour  and  an  half  this  evv^ning,in  grappling  around  some  rocks 
of  free  stone,  the  distance  of  a  few  hundred  yards.  Tiie  swift- 
-ness  of  the  current  on  the  other  side  rendered  it  impossible  to 
attempt  it  there— -Encamped  some  distance  above  an  encamp- 
ment of  Mr.  Hunt,  which  appeared  not  more  than  te"  '^r  twelve 
/days  ol<'. 

Monday  22cf.  Continued  until  eleven,  with  ct^fdelley  or  tow- 
ing line~»4he  banks  being  favorable.  The  hills,  or  blufis,  are 
here,  itbout  one  hundred  feet  high,  and  rise  abruptly  from  the 
fiver.     Wind  from  S.  S.  W.  beconving  too  strong;,  were  com- 


JOURNAL^ 


31^ 


pelted  to  lie  by  until  three.  Crossed  to  the  N.  E.  side,  aad  en- 
deavored to  ascend  between  ttie  shore  and  an  island,  but  found  a 
saiid  bar  running  across,  at  the  upper  end,  so  that  we  were  oblig- 
ed to  buck,  and  encamp  nearly  opposite  the  place  of  starting. 

Tueaduy  23d.  Very  high  wind  this  morning.  Doubled  the 
island  which  had  been  the  scene  uf  so  much  vexation.  Endea- 
vored to  proceed  on  the  outside,  but  met  with  so  many  difficul- 
ties, that  we  were  compelled  to  cross  to  the  S.  W.  side.  Tow- 
ed to  Ibar's  channel  and  island->^then  re-crossed  to  the  N.  E. 
side,  and  found  ourselves  about  two  miles  above  our  last  night's 
encampment.  Remained  here  until  three,  wnen  the  wind  some- 
what abated  its  violence.  Having  arrived  opposite  the  Wizzard's 
island,  (L'isle  du  Sorcier)  crossed  over  and  encamped.  The 
superstitious  boatmen  believt  that  a  wizzard  inhabits  this 
island ;  they  declare  that  a  man  has  been  frequently  seen  on  the 
sand  beach,  at  the  point,  but  that  he  suddenly  disappears,  on  the 
approach  of  any  one.  These  few  days  have  been  in  a  manner  lost, 
from  contrary  winds,  and  bad  weather.  Heavy  rain  this  even- 
ing— Musketoes  begin  to  be  troublesome,  for  the  first  time  dur- 
ing our  voyage. 

Wednesday  2ith.  Attempted  a  ripple  this  morning,  and 
were  driven  back  five  times — we  had  once  got  withl.»  half 
the  boat's  length  of  being  through ;  the  oars  and  poles  were 
insufficient;  ten  of  our  men  leaped  into  the  water  with  the  cor- 
delle,  while  the  rest  of  vs  exerted  ourselves  with  the  pole :  and 
thus  by  perseverance  became  conquerors.  This  ripple,  like  all 
others  of  the  Missouri,  is  formed  by  high  sand  bars,  over  which 
the  water  is  precipitated,  with  considerable  noise  This  bar  has 
been  formed  within  two  or  three  years.  The  bend  formerly  aU 
most  impassible  from  the  swiftness  of  the  current,  is  now  toler- 
able. There  is  lieldom  any  great  current  on  both  siiks  ;  the  fall- 
ing in  of  the  banks  indicates  the  current  to  be  there.  Wherever 
the  river  has  a  wider  channel  than  ordinary,  there  is  usually  a 
sand  bar  in  the  middle.  This  extraordinary  river  sometimes 
pursues  a  straight  course  for  ten  or  fifteen  miles,  then  suddenly 
turns  to  every  point  of  the  compass:  In  other  places,  the  whole 
volume  of  its  waters  is  compressed  into  a  channel  of  two  or  three 
hundred  yaris:  agmin  suddenly  opening  to  the  width  of  one,  or 


^ 


/ 


m 


•p 


i 


J^16 


joimv\L. 


even  two  miles,  with  isknidH  and  sand  bars  scattered  through 
the  space. 

Passed  a  canoe  with  four  men,  who  had  wintered  up  the  Kan-' 
sas,  about  five  hundred  miles:  they  had  beaver,  and  other  turs* 
They  could  give  no  information  respecting  Hunt's  party :— we 
conclude  he  must  have  passed  that  river  before  they  came  out 
of  it. 

From  the  violence  of  the  wind,  made  but  a  few  miles.  While 
Castor  was  out,  he  saw  a  white  turkey,  but  was  not  so  fortunate 
as  to  kill  it.  I  am  told  that  they  have  sometimes  been  seen  of 
this  color;  but  I  suspect  it  is 

Kara  avis  in  terr'is,  nigroque  slmillimft  cygno. 


Thursday  ^Sth.  Contrary  winds,  but  not  such  as  to  prevent 
us  from  continuing  our  voyage  tolerably  well.  About  eleven^ 
came  in  sight  of  Fort  Osage,  situate  on  a  bluff,  three  miles  ofT'^ 
Oh  a  rommahding  eminence.  We  stopped  sometime  at  the 
clearing  of  Mr.  Audrain,  who  is  about  opening  a  farm  bt> low  the 
fort.  A  number  of  Indians  Of  the  Osage  nation,  of  all  ages,  and 
sexes,  were  scattered  along  the  bank,  attratted  by  curiosity-^ 
some  with  old  buffaloe  rob6s  throwi)  over  their  shoulders,  others 
dressed  out  in  the  gayest  mannel*.  They  gathered  round  us  in 
crowds,  and  manifested  ah  idle  curiosity,  very  different  from 
the  Indians  who  live  east  of  the  Mississippi,  one  of  whose  clm- 
teristics,  is  a  studied  indifference^,  as  to  every  thing  strange 
Inrhich  transpii'es  around  them. 

On  landing  at  the  fort,  on  a  very  rocky  shdrei,  a  soldier  unt^ 
der  arihs,  who  waited  for  Us  at  the  water's  side,  escorted  Mr. 
tiisa  and  myself  to  the  fort,  where  we  were  politely  rfcceiveU  by 
the  commanding  officer. 

VVhile  Ml".  Lisa  Was  transacting  Some  business,  atcompd- 
nied  by  Mr.  Sibiy,  the  factor,  ahd  an  interpreter,  I  ^ent  to  deliv- 
er a  pipe  to  Sana  Oreille,  (a  warrior,  and  head  man  Of  this  tril)e) 
sent  to  him  by  gen.  Clark.  He  received  us,  seated  on  a  mat, 
and  after  smoking  in  the  usual  manner,  r.qiK  bied  the  inicrprc- 
fer  10  iiiform  me  "that  he  was  the  friend  of  the  Americans,  aud 


itOURNAL. 


Sfef 


that  Ke  ina  flattened  with  this  proof  of  -geti.  blark^s  gbod  \rhi  , 
towards  him."  He  was  surrounded  by  a  number  of  young  war- 
riors, who  appeared  to  h>ok  upon  hira  with  great  respect.  This 
roan,  though  not  a  chief,  is  evidently  intriguing  to  be  the  head 
of  his  tribe,  and  has  great  iufiuence  With  them :  the  chie^  Youngp  i 
White  Hairs,  having  but  little  to  entitle  him  to  respect  from  lu» 
own  character,  being  extremely  young)  and  of  a  gentle  disposi- 
tion. Sana  Oreiiteyas  is  usual  with  the  ambitious  amongst  these 
people,  is  the  poorest  man  in  the  nation :  to  set  the  heart  upon 
goods  Mid  chattels,  being  reckoned  indicative  of  a  mean  and  nar- 
row soul  t  he  gives  away  every  thing  he  can  obtain,  in  order  to 
procure  popularity.  Such  is  ambition !  Little  know  they  of  this ' 
state  of  society,  who  believe  that  it  is  free  from  jealou^  ies,  envy» 
detraction,  or  guilty  ambition.  No  demagogue-^^-no  Cataliney 
ever  used  greater  art  and  finesse,  or  displayed  more  policy  than 
this  cunning  savage.  The  arts  of  seducing  the  multitude  are 
nearly  the  same  every  where,  and  the  passion  for  power  and  dis« 
tinctiou,  seems; inherent  in  human  nature.  He  is  a  tall  &ne  look- 
ing man,  possesses  very  superior  abilities^  and  is  esteemed  the 
best  warriof  of  the  village* 

The  fort  is  handsomely  situated,  about  one  hundred  {ee% 
above  the  level  of  the  river,  winch  makes  an  elbow  at  this  place* 
giving  an  extensive  view  up  and  down  the  river.  Its  form  is  tri* 
angular;  this  fort  is  small,  not  calculated  for  more  than  a  com>' 
pany  of  men.  A  group  of  buildings  is  fcMrmed  by  the  factory, 
suttler's  house,  8ec.  The  lodges  o£  the  Little  Os^e,  are  sixtjr ' 
in  number,  and  within  gun  shot  of  the  fort;  but  they  tare  about  \o 
remove  their  village  to  a  prairie,  three  miles  off  Their  lodges 
are  of  a  circular  form,  not  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  fact  in  dia- 
meter, constructed  by  placing  mats,  mad«  o£coatrse  rushes,  ov«r 
forks  and  poles. 

All  three  of  the  Osage  bands,  together  with  some  Kansasi 
were  lately  encamped  here  for  the  purpose  of  trading,  to  the 
number  of  fifteea  hundred  warriors.  The  officer  hiformed  me, 
that  about  ten  days  ago,  serious  apprehensions  hud  been  enter- 
tained from  them.  A  war  party,  of  about  two  hundred,  having 
scaiped  a  few  women  and  chiKiien,ot  the  Ayuwus, their  enemies, 
had  returi^ed  so  elated  with  this  exploit,  that  they  insulted  the 

od 


.i'^l 


M 


318 


JOURNAL. 


people  of  the  fort.  One  of  these  warriors  defied  a  centinel  on 
his  post;  the  centinel  was  commanded  to  fire  over  his  head,  this 
producing  no  effect*  he  was  seized  by  a  file  of  men.  This  he  at 
first  treated  with  indifference,  declaring^,  that  if  he  was  confined, 
he  would  get  someof  the  wliitemen^S  breads  his  tune  was  chang- 
ed, however,  by  a  liberal  application  of  the  cat  o'  nine  tails  to 
his  back.  Great  commotions  amongst  the  Indians  were  excit- 
ed; they  rushed  forward  with  their  arms;  but  the  soldiers  no 
sooner  paraded  and  mude  ready  a  few  pieces  of  cannon,  than 
they  thought  proper  to  retreat.  They  nMintained  a  threatening 
attitude  for  some  days,  and  to  give  vent  to  their  spite^  killed  a 
pair  of  fine  oxen,  belonging  to  Mr.  Audrain.  The  officer  sent 
for  the  chiefs,  and  told  them,  that  unless  two  others  were  given 
for  the  oxen,  he  would  instantly  fire  upon  their  village.  This 
spirited  deportment  had  the  desired  effect,  the  chief  complied, 
and  after  some  counselling,  the  pipe  was  smoked)  and  all  matters 
adjusted. 

I'hese  Indians  are  not  to  be  compared  to  the  nations  east  oP 
the  Mississip{H;  although  at  war  with  most  of  their  neighbors, 
they  are  a  cowardly  race.  One  good  trait,  however,  deserves  to 
be  mentioned ;  they  have  rarely,  if  ever,  been  known  to  spill  the 
blood  of  a  white  man:— .When  a  white  hunter  is  found  on  their 
lands,  they  take  away  his  furs  and  his  arms,  be  is  then  beaten 
with  ramrods,  and  driven  off. 

Mr.  Sibly  informed  nrie,  that  he  was  just  setting  out  on  a 
tour  towards  the  Arkuisas,  to  visit  the  saliites,*  on  that  river, 
and  also  to  the  Kansas  and  Platte,  to  sec  the  Punt  nation. 

Thus  far  we  have  gained  about  one  hundred  miles  upon  the 
party  of  Hunt—we  are  in  good  spirits,  and  will  renew  the  pur- 
suit with  augmented  vigor. 

This  place  is  something  better  than  three  hundred  miles  up 
the  Missoari,  in  lat.  38*>  40'.  


•  In  the  Appendix,  there  will  be  found,  an  eXlf  act  from  the  Journal' 
ef  Mr.  Sibly's  tour. 


JOURNAL. 


219 


CHAPTER  III, 


Friday^  26^A  JfirU.  Heavy  ruins  last  night,  dur  sltuatloiji 
extremely  uncomfortable.  This  morning  we  were  awakened 
about  daylight,  by  the  most  hideous  bowlings  I  ever  heard.— 
They  proceeded  from  the  Osagesi  among  whom  this  is  a  cus- 
tom. On  inquiry,  I  found  that  they  were  unable  to  give  any  sa- 
tisfactory reason  for  it;  I  could  only  learn,  that  it  was  partly  reli- 
gious, and  if  it  be  true,  as  is  supposed  by  many,  that  they  offer 
their  worship  only  to  the  Evil  Spirit,  the  orison  was  certainly  not 
U4iworthy  of  him.  I  was  told,  also,  that  it  arises  from  another 
cause ;  when  any  one,  on  awaking  in  the  morning,  happens  to 
think  of  a  departed  friend,  even  of  some  valued  dog  or  horse, 
which  has  been  lost,  he  instantly  begins  this  doleful  cr}',  and  all 
the  others  hark  in,  as  soon  as  it  is  heard. 

About  eleven  o^clock,  clearing  up,  but  wind  very  strong  from 
the  S.  W .  we  set  off  with  it,  blowing  cfirectly  in  o^ir  faces.-— 
About  twelve  we  put  to  shore  and  remained  for  more  than  two 
houi'^.  Crossed  to  the  N.  £■  side,  and  continued  olir  voyage.-— 
Towards  evening  the  weather  moderated,  l^assed  a  small  en? 
campment  of  hunters.  The  Missouri  is  now  lyhat  the  Ohio  was 
once,  the  Paradise  of  hunters.  Made  nine  miles  to  daf.  The 
water  is  at  a  good  stage  for  ascending ;  the  navigation  beconies 
more  agreeable.     Weather  somewhat  cooj. 

We  have  now  passed  the  last  settlement  of  whites,  and  pro- 
bably will  not  re-visit  them  for  several  months.  This  reflection 
caused  us  all  to  think  seriously  of  our  situation.  I  iilmost  re- 
pented of  having  undertaken  this  voyage,  without  an  object  ia 
view,  of  suitable  importance.  Our  m^n  were  kept  from  think- 
ing too  deeply,  by  the  cheering  songs,  which  were  ^ncoviraged 
by  Mr.  Lisa,  and  the  splashing  of  the  o«rs,  which  kept  time  with 
them.  So  far  removed,  I  seemed  to  look  back,  as  from  an  emi- 
nence ;  thus  abstracted,  1  fancied  that  I  contemplated  my  coun- 
try with  more  accuracy  than  I  could  while  protected  in  its  bq- 
som.  I  heaved  a  sigh,  when  I  reflected  that  I  might  never  see  it, 
or  my  friends  again ;  that  my  bone>  might  be  deposited  op  some 


i\ 


MO 


JOURNAL. 


dreary  spot,  fur  from  my  home,  and  the  haunts  of  civilized  man ; 
but  this  last,  suggebtcd  u  consolation,  there  is  no  spot  however 
distant,  where  I  may  be  buried,  but  will  in  time,  be  surrounded 
by  the  habitations  of  Americans,  the  place  will  be  marked,  and 
approached  with  respect,  as  contauiing  the  remains  of  one  of  the 
^rst  who  ventured  into  theiie  distant  and  solitary  regions ! 

Saturday  '•27 th.  We  are  once  more  to  be  somewhat  favored, 
This  is  a  delightful  morning,  though  cool.  Set  off  at  daylight, 
^nd  at  six,  had  a  light  breeze  from  east.  Passed  Vincent's  island, 
above  which  the  river  is  extremely  narrow,  and  hills  S.  W.  side. 
About  eleven,  met  a  party  of  traders  in  two  canoes  lashed  toge- 
ther, which  forin  a  kind  of  raft,  heavily  laden  with  furs,  and  skins. 
They  came  from  the  Sioux,  who,  they  say,  are  peaceably  dispos- 
ed. They  met  Hunt's  party,  five  days  ago,  at  the  lattle  Nime- 
ha ;  it  proceeds  slowly,  and  had  two  days  of  contrary  winds.—o 
The  traders  think  we  shall  be  able  to  overtake  them  at  th :  river 
Platte. — Hunt  informed  them  that  they  would  meet  us  below 
the  Grand  river.  Wind  fell  shortly  after  leaving  this  party.  Th4 
jgood  news  we  have  heard,  animates  our  men  very  much. 

Towards  evening,  passed  Benito's  island  and  sand  bar,  S.  W. 
side,  so  called,  from  a  trader  of  that  name  having  been  robbed  by 
the  Ay u  was  of  his  peltry,  and  he,  wuh  his  men,  forced  to  carry 
pnormou9  bqi  dens  of  it  on  their  hacks,  to  the  river  des  Moinesi. 
Instances  of  such  insults  were  formerly  very  usual »  several 
spots  have  been  shewn  to  me  where  like  acts  have  been  com- 
mitted, and  even  accompanied  with  murder.  Having  come 
within  two  leagues  of  the  Kansas  river,  we  encamped.  Large 
sauti  bars  begin  every  where  to  appear. 

Sunday  28/A.  A  cool  morning,  and  somewhat  foggy  on  the 
I'iver-r-A  light  breeze  from  the  east,  but  not  sufficient  to  enable 
VIS  iq  Carry  sails.  Passed  high  land  N.  £  side,  with  $ome  rocks 
pn  the  shore ;  we  are  constantly  delighted  with  the  gentle  hills, 
or  rather  elevated  upland  of  the  Missouri.  On  a  large  sand  bar, 
suw  nearly  thirty  deer.  They  tvre  very  numerous  on  this  part  of 
the  river. 

Passed  the  Kansas,  a  very  large  river  which  enters  on  the 
S.  W.  {»ide.  It  heads  between  the  Platte  and  the  Arkansas.— 
\f  be  country  on  its  borders^  is  entirely  open.  The  river  can  be 


JOURNAL. 


m 


^acetided  with  little  difficulty,  more  than  twelve  hundred  miles. 
Tiic  KdivsaR  nation  of  Indians, reside  upon  it. 

In  the  evening^  we  passed  the  Utttie  river  Platte,  navigable 
with  Canoes  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and  said  to  abound  with  beaver* 
We  encamped  near  a  mile  above  it,  having  made  about  fiiteen 

mi  Iff  s.  !j{{  n/{')    • 

In  the  course  of  this  day,  we  find  the  f'iver,  in  moat  placcS) 
extremely  narrow,  and  the  sand  bats  very  extensive. 

Monday  29th.  Somewhat  cloudy  this  morning— 'A  light 
breeze  from  the  S.  E.  At  seven,  breakfasted  under  sail.  At 
nine,  reached  a  bcauiiful  island,  called  Diamond  island,  fifteen 
miles  above  the  Kansas.  From  this,  there  u  a  long  reach  of  six 
or  eight  miles.  The  wei^ther  is  fine— the  breeze  still  con* 
tinuing. 

At  three  o'clock  we  had  made  twenty-four  miles.  The  wind, 
from  the, change  of  the  course  of  the  river,  could  not  serve  us'. 
We  lost  two  hours  in  passing  one  of  the  most  difficult  places  I 
hiave  seen  on  the  river;  after  which)  ve  had  a  fair  wind  again» 
until  night- 
Passed  in  the  course  of  this  day,  some  beautiful  country  on 
both  sides:  the  upland  chiefly  S.  W  and  a  greater  proportion 
of  prairie  than  we  have  yet  seen.  The  river  generally  narroWf 
and  the  sand  bj^rs  of  great  extent 

Having  made  about  thirty  miles,  we  encamped  a  short  dis- 
tance below  Bu£Faloe  island,  opposite  a  range  of  hills,  and  at  the 
upper  end  of  a  long  view.  During  the  whole  of  the  day,  we  saw 
astonishing  quantities  of  game  on  the  shore ;  particularly  deer 
and  turkeys.    The  buffaloe  or  elk  are  not  yet  seen. 

rueadaxf  ZOtk.  Last  night  there  was  much  thunder  an4 
lightning,  lut  little  rain.  At  day  light  embarked  with  a  favor* 
able  wind,  which  continued  until  seven,  when,  from  the  course  of 
the  river,  the  wind  failed  us  for  an  hour.  The  river  extremely 
crooked.  Mr.  Lisa  and  m  vself  went  on  shore,  and  each  killed 
a  deer.  There  were  great  numbers  of  them  sporting  on  the  sand 
bars.  There  are  great  quantities  of  snipes,  of  a  beautiful  plu- 
mage, being  a  curious  mixture  of  dove  color,  and  white.  I  saw 
one  of  a  different  kind,  which  waft  scarlet  underneath  th«  ving^. 


'h 


198 


JdUR^XL. 


•*'*•'  At  two  o'clock  we  hoisted  sail  at  the  beginning  of  a  long 
reach,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  whole  company.  High  prairies  S. 
W.  side— continued  under  sail  through  another  long  reach,  and 
had  a  view  of  the  old  Kansas  village,  at  the  upper  end  of  it.  It 
is  a  high  prairie ;  smooth  waving  hills,  perfectly  green,  with  a 
few  clumps  of  trees  in  the  hollows.  But  for  the  scarcity  of  tim> 
ber  this  would  be  a  delightful  sit\!<\tion  for  a  town  At  this 
place,  the  bend  of  the  river  rendered  the  wind  unfavomble. -. 
Continued  under  oars  about  3  miles  further,  having  in  the  course 
of  this  day  made  thirty  three  miles. 

Wednesday ^  \at  May.  Very  high  wind  all  last  night.  Em- 
barked this  morning  about  daylight,  and  continued  under  sail 
until  six  o'clock.  Upland  N.  E  side,  thihly  timbered.  It  may 
be  remarked,  that  the  hills  of  the  Missouri  are  not  so  high  as 
those  of  the  Ohio,  seldom  rocky,  and  Hse  more  pleasantly  from 
the  water's  edge.  Continued  under  sail  until  eleven,  ivhen  we 
were  brought  off  by  a  considerable  bend  in  the  river.  Passed  St. 
Michael's  prairie,  a  handsome  plain  in  front,  with  variegated  hills 
in  the  back  ground,  and  but  little  wood.  At  two  o'clock  we 
Came  to  a  very  great  bend  in  the  river,  but  did  not  get  through 
\intil  evening.  The  river  from  being  narrow,  change's  to  an  un- 
usual v^idti ;  and  very  shallow.  We  were  detained  about  an 
bour,  having  been  so  unlucky  as  to  run  aground. 

Saw  but  one  or  two  deer  to  day,  as  we  approach  the  open 
country  their  numbers  will  be  found  to  diminish,  tficre  being  no 
thickets  to  shelter  them.  They  are  said  to  lessen  perceptibly 
from  Nodawa  river  upwards. 

In  the  evening,  the  weather,  which  has  been  for  some  days 
cloudy,  cleared  up,  and  the  wind  abated  entirely  :  the  Missouri 
and  its  scenery  appeared  in  their  natural  state.  The  wind  also 
became  calm,  and  seemed  to  harmonize  with  nature.  The  river 
is  falling  fast,  approaching  to  a  low  stage  of  water— came  to  day 
twenty-seven  miles.  : :-..  iui^ -z . 

Thursday  2d.  Embarked  at' ^^ayli^ht,  the  river  uhruffled  by 
a  breeze ;  the  birdt,  as  if  rejoicing  that  the  strife  of  the  elements 
had  ceased,  tun6d  tiieir  sweetest  notes. 

At  seven  o'clock,  breakfasted  opposite  some  bluffs  N.  E. 
side.  A  very  large  mass  appeareil  at  no  distant  perioq,  to  have 


JOURNAU 


.'34'' 


dipped  into  the  river,  leaving  a  clay  precipice  fifty  or  sixty  feet 
luKh  A  little  above,  there  are  rocks  of  freestone  at  the  edge 
of  the  water.  Below  this  place,  there  is  an  extensive  prairie, 
partly  river  bottom,  and  partly  upland,  with  a  considerable  riv- 
ulet passing  through  it.  What  a  delightful  6ituation  for  a  farm, 
or  even  a  town !  Description  of  such  a  country  as  this,  can  give 
no  idea  of  its  peculiar  character.  The  hills,  or  bluffs,  begin  to 
appear,  thinly  wooded  with  dwarf  trees,  principally  oak  or  ash. 

In  the  evening  arrived  at  Noduwa  channel,  on  the  N.  E. 
itide,  and  about  five  miles  in  length. 

Friday  3d.  A  beautiful  morning;  set  off  at  daylight  as  usu- 
al, and  passed  the  wintering  ground  of  Crooks  and  M'Clelland/ 
some  distance  above  Nodawa. 

High  hills  on  the  S.  W.  side,  with  some  bold  places,  and 
fine  land  on  the  N.  £.  side.  In  the  afternoon  passed  Wolf  riv- 
er, fourteen  miles  from  Nodawa.  Shortly  after  this,  a  breeze 
from  N.  £.  enabled  us,  from  the  course  of  the  river,  to  sail  four 
or  five  miles.  Passed  a  large  prairie  S.  W.  Mde,  and  encamped 
at  the  commencement  of  another.  In  these  places  there  is  not 
even  a  shrub  to  the  water's  edge,  the  bottom  of  considei*able 
width :  the  grass  very  luxuriant. 

Saturday  Ath.  Heavy  rain  last  night,  and  drizzling  this  morn- 
ing. Passed  an  extensive  lowland  prairie,  above  our  encamp- 
ment. At  half  past  eight,  passed  an  encampment  of  Hunt.  In 
the  evening  passed  the  Nimeha  and  Tarkio  creeks,  and  encamp- 
ed a  short  distance  above. 

I  overheard  this  evening,  with  considerable  chagrin,  while 
AVarming  myself  at  the  fire,  some  bitter  complaints  on  the  part 
of  the  men :  they  declared  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
stand  it  long,  that  they  had  never  so  severe  a  voyage.  This  dis- 
content was  of  Course  excited  by  some  Thersitea  of  the  party.— 
Great  exertions  have  certainly  been  made  and  no  moments  lost, 
in  advancing  our  voyage,  but  much  of  the  time  we  were  carri- 
ed along  by  the  wind,  when  there  was  no  need  for  any  labor  on 
the  part  of  the  men.  The  weather  is  now  fine,  and  their  labor 
diversified,  when  there  is  no  wind,  by  the  pole,  the  cars,  or  cor- 
delle,  which  is  little  more  than  a  promenade  along  th9  sautl  bars. 


«. 


tfmm 


sm 


JOUENALi 


I  represented  these  ihings  to  them  as  well  as  I  could,  and  co^ 
dcavored  to  quiet  their  minds. 

Sunday  St  A  Passed  an  encampment  of  Hunt  this  moriiing. 
The  sun  shone  out,  but  the  air  wm  cool--wind  from  N.  E.  but 
not  so  bard  as  to  form  any  great  obstacle.  In  tlie  evening  hail- 
ed two  men  descending  in  a  bark  canoe ;  they  had  been  ot  Huui's 
party,  and  had  left  iiim  on  the  2d  t>f  May,  two  days  above  tlio 
Platte,  at  Boyer's  river.  They  had  fair  wind  it  seems  all  the  wuy 
up-  Thus,  it  seems  we  have  gained  upon  them  as  much  as  wo 
expected. 

The  weather  very  fine  throughout  the  day,  encamped  in  the 
evening  at  the  upper  end  of  a  liandsome  prairie,  opposite  a  large 
sand  bar. 

Mondaxj  6th.  About  ten  this  morning,  passed  a  river  called 
Nis-na-botona,  after  which  there  are  some  long  reaches  vtry  fa- 
vorable for  sailing.  At  four  o'clock  arrived  at  the  little  Nxne- 
ha,  the  course  of  the  river  here  is  for  a  considerable  disuDcc 
nearly  N.  £.-— Wimf  being  N.  \V.  were  enabled  to  hoisi  !>ail» 
but  having  proceeded  about  a  mile,  a  squall  suddenly  sprung  up 
from  the  N.  we  were  compelled  with  all  despatch  to  take  in  sail, 
and  gain  the  shore  S.  W.  side.  Here  a  dreadful  storm  ra^cd 
during  the  remainder  of  the  evening,  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
night. 

Our  encampment  is  at  the  edge  of  a  large  prairie,  but  witli 
a  fringe  of  wood  along  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  greater  part 
of  the  country,  particularly  on  the  S.  W.  side,  *  now  entirely 
•pen.     The  grass  is  at  this  time  about  six  inch  .*s  high. 

Tuesday  7th.  Continued  our  voyage  at  daylight,  tlie  weath* 
er  fine,  though  son^ewbat  cool.  Wind  still  continues  N.  W.— • 
Passed  an  island  and  sand  bar,  and  towed  along  a  prairie  S.  side 
for  nearly  a  mile.  This  prwic  is  narrow,  bt^nded  by  hills 
somewhat  broken  and  stony. 

At  ten  o'clock  arrived  at  VisLe  a^  beau  soieil;  the  wind  here 
became  so  high  that  we  proceeded  with  great  difficulty.  In  the 
evening,  arriving  at  the  head  of  the  island,  were  compelled  \ja 
put  to  shore.  Mr.  Lisa  seized  this  opportunity  of  replacing  his 
inast,  by  a  young  oak  which  he  found  in  the  wood  along  the 
sh«jr9»    All  liaftds  were  set  to  work  on  it,  in  order  that  it  might 


jotmNAt. 


8Si 


be  teady  the  next  day.  Thii  wm  rcndeired  hecetsftry  tn  account 
of  the  old  one  having  fi^ven  way. 

I  took  this  opportunity  of  making  an  excuraion  into  the 
country— ^aicended  the  hilla  or  bluffs,  which,  though  ateep,  are 
hot  much  more  than  two  hundred  feet  aboTe  the  level  of  the  riv'* 
er,  and  command  prospects  of  great  extent.  I  could  aee  the 
meandering  course  of  the  river,  between  the  two  ranges  of 
hillSf  or  more  properly  of  h'.gh  land,  for  thirty  or  forty  milet. 
Some  of  these  hills  are  cut  into  precipices  forty  or  fifty  feet 
high)  without  any  appearance  of  stone.  It  is  a  tight  yellow  co- 
lored earth)  with  a  considerable  mixture  of  sand.  There  is  an 
immonse  extent  of  prairie  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  The  hills 
are  not  always  abrupt,  but  in  many  places  rise  gently,  and  are 
extremely  beautiful.  The  river  hereabout  is  very  crooked:  in 
following  the  hills,  along  whioh  there  is  an  Indian  path,  I  could 
go  to  a  point  up  the  river,  which  will  most  probably  be  our 
place  of  encampment  to  morrow  night. 

On  my  return  to  the  boat,  killed  some  pigeons  and  wild 
ducks,  and  saw  a  flock  of  turkeys. 

,  Wedneaday  8M.  Last  night  having  finished  our  mast,  we  had 
it  put  up  this  morning  before  day,  and  at  daylight  set  off*  on  out 
voyage.  Weather  cool,  but  no  wind)  and  the  sun  apparently  re* 
gaining  his  empire. 

Passed  through  a  country  in  the  course  of  this  day,  chicflf 
open,  with  very  little  wood.  The  river  very  wide  i  in  one  place 
it  appeared  to  me  nearly  two  miles.  Encamped  at  the  fulling 
in  banks,  or  grand  ebouimenti     "Wind  has  entirely  abated. 

Thursday  9th.  Set  off  at  daylight—continued  a  short  dis* 
tance  under  sail  with  a  light  breexe. 

Several  of  the  men  are  sick ;  one  has  a  pleurisy,  ahd  Others 
slight  fevers  and  coughs,  from  frequent  exposure  in  the  water. 

There  appears  to  be  no  hMls  or  bluffs  on  the  north  east  sidei 
the  whole  distance  to  the  Platte. 

Encamped  some  distance  above  a  hill,  Called  Voeil  effroiy 
from  an  Indian  chief  who  was  scaffolded  here  some  years  ago. 

Friday  \Oth.   A  dreadful  storm  raged  during  the  whole  of 
last  night.    Set  ofif  this  morning  under  sail;  in  expectation  of 
•  js  e 


23t> 


JOUUNAL. 


^' 


'reaching  ihe  Plaite  bcfare  twelve^  but  in  the  ccurse  of  an  hour 
it  failed  us,  and  changed  to  N.  W.  At  teni  it  became  so  violent 
that  vre  were  coropelied  to  put  to  shore,  where  we  remuint^d 
until  towards  evi  ning,  and  again  attempted  to  proceed,  but  fiitd« 
ing  the  wind  too  strong,  again  landed  and  encamped,  having 
passed  the  moUth  of  the  Platte.  At  the  mouth  of  this  river 
there  is  ao  ^grt^ut  a  number  of  bars  and  small  islands,  that  its 
entrance  is  scarcely  perceptible.  The  river  enters  by  a  number 
of  chatuieh  or  mouths:  tlte  color  of  its  water  is  the  same  with 
thutof  the  Missouri.  The  couptry  hereabouts  is  entirely  open, 
excepting,  in  some  siM)ts  along  the  river,  where  there  arc 
groves  of  cottott  wood,'  and.  ipu  the.  hills  a  ftw  scattered  dwarf 
;oaks.  '■^'  ■r.-r'::x  -'  :r 

fli  Saturday  Wth.  The  wind  continues  too  high  to  proceed. 
This  morning  we  advance  about  three  miles,  and  encamp  until 
near  noon — very  cold. 

Set  off  with  my  gun  to  take  a  walk  into  the  country.  Tra- 
versed the  prairie  which  had  been  burnt,  and  readied  the  high 
land  about  three  miles  distant ;  the  high  land  rises  gradually 
to  the  height  of  about  two  hundred  feet,  the  country  then  be- 
comes waving.  The  other  side  of  the  Missouri  appears  ex- 
tremely bare.  I  wandered  towards  the  Platte,  or  rather  to  the 
point  of  the  upland  between  this  river  and  the  Missouri, 
which  commands  a  very  extensive  prospect.  1  discovered  a 
great  extent  of  open  country,  gently  rising  grounds,  with  a 
soil  every  where  extremely  rich.  The  Platte  is  full  of  islands 
and  sand  burs,  and  appears  us  wide,  as  the  Missouri  On  my  re- 
turn, I  saw  several  Indian  mounds. 

On  reaching  camp  I  found  that  the  wind  had  abated,  and 
that  the  river  was  rising  fast. 

The  river  Platte  is  regarded  by  the  r^vigatOrs  of  the  Mis- 
souri as  a  point  of  as  much  importance,  as  the  equinoctial  !ine 
amongst  mariners.  All  those  who  had  not  passed  it  befc  re, 
.^rre  required  to  be  shaved,  unless  they  could  compromise  the 
matter  by  a  treat.  Much  merriment  was  indulged  on  the  oc- 
casion. ,  From  this  we  enter  what  is  cjiUed  the  Upper  Missouri. 
Indeed  the  change  is  perceptible  and  great. 


JOURVAU 


$V 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Sunday  I2M.  Weather  pleasant— the  river  ri&ing  rapidly'; 
the  drift  wood  descends  [a  great  quantities)  and  the  current 
seems  to  augment  every  moment.  This  majr  possibly  be  the 
annual  flood.  ,  We  were  enabled  to  ascend  the  greater  part  of 
this  morning  with  tlie  towing  line. 

In  the  afternoon,  some  distance  above  the  old  Otto  villagei 
S.  W.  side,  I  went  on  shore,  and  Vvrandered  several  iniles 
through  sh'ubby  hills,  and  saw  Several  elk  and  deer,  \^ithoat 
being  able  to  approach  them.  Towards  evening  I  entej^Jbd  i 
charming  prairie,  and  of  the  richest  soil.  *  Fdliowed  a  HVulct 
Until  it  formed  a  lake  in  the  river  bottom,  Its  banks  for  six  oY 
eight  feet  a  rich  black  earth.  In  pursuing  ihb  uplatid  I  might 
have  fallen  upon  the  Missouri  six  miles  above,  in  tiie  distance 
of  a  niile,  the  river  forming  here  a  considerable  bend.  Tho 
prairies  or  meadows  to  the  water's  edge,  enabled  us  to  continue 
the  greater  part  of  this  day  with  the  line.  ■    ;•       . 

Monday  1 3th.  Water  falling — continued  with  the  towing 
line.  i\t  ten,  e  fine  breezy  springing  up,  hoisted  sail.  Pas'&ed 
the  river  d^  lioyer,  and  the  houses  of  McClelland,  who  wintered 
here.  Some  woody  country  hereabouts ;  but  that  on  the  upland 
is  very  inferior,  chiefly  shrubby  oak.  A  short  distakice  above  this 
place  we  encounterpd  a  very  difBcult  and  tapid  current) but  being 
luckily  a  little  aided  by  the  sail,  we  passed  tolerably  well — -We 
have  now  reached  the  highest  point  to  which  settlements  will 
probably  extend  on  the  western  side  for  many  years. 

In  the  evening  passed  hi^:  h  clean  meadows,  called  the  Coun^ 
cil  Blufls,  from  the  circumstance  '6f  Lewis  and  Cla^^k  having 
held  a  council  with  the  Otto  and  Missouri  Indians,  wheh  as* 
cending  this  river.  It  is  a  beautiful  place— >Encamped  four 
miles  above  this  place  on  a  large  sand  bar.  In  the  course  pf 
this  day  found  the  river  crooked  and  narrow :  it  appeared  in  on6 
place  almost  closed  up  by  drift  woOd'and  sawyers. 


II 


'1 


Mi 


H 


In 


ssa 


JOURKAL. 


Tu»tday  \Ath,  Set  off  with  a  slight  breeze— compelled  by 
heavy  rain  to  put  to  shore  for  some  hours,  after  which,  continued 
under  a  fine  wind  that  lasted  throughout  the  day;  but  from  the 
winding  course  c"lhc  river,  we  were  not  much  benefitted  by  it. 

In  some  of  the  bends  of  the  river,  the  limber,  principally 
(Otton  wood,  is  heavy,  but  the  prairies  and  upland  are  entirely 
bare  of  trees.  The  prairies  compose  more  than  two-thirds  of 
the  margin  of  t;be  stream-*-the  soil  extremely  rich :  for  the 
three  first  feet,  generally  a  light  mould,  another  stratum  is  a 
deep  bidcH,  almost  approaching  the  color  of  coal,  but  not  hard 
or  stiff;  the  lower  stratum  U  marie,  .  I  have  no  doubt  that  these 
natgjral  meadows  would  yield  surprisingly— Encamped  at  the 
beginning  of  a  great  bend  of  the  river,  twelve  miles  round,  and 
|iot.  more  than  three  hundred  paces  across. 

Wednet^ay  \ith  Although  the  wind  is  &vorable,  it  was 
pf  no  use  to  us,  from  the  sudden  turns  of  the  river.  At  twelve 
foisted  sail,  and  passed  the  Soldier's  river,  a  small  stream.  Af> 
ter  doubling  some  points  we  came  into  a  reach  of  some  extent; 
vind  here  became  very  violent,  and  blew  almost  a  tempest ;  with 
our  sail  reduced  to  half  its  sia^e  we  easily  encountered  the 
fitrongest  current.  The  storm  became  at  length  so  serious  that 
jjt  was  deemed  imprudent  to  continue  under  way.  The  air  was 
darkened  by  clouds  of  sand,  and  we  found  ourselves  at  (he  up^ 
per  end  of  the  reach,  in  the  midst  of  sawyers  and  planters,  our 
situation  dangerous  in  the  extreme.  We  fortunately  escaped 
-safely  to  the  shore,  where  we  remained  unti)  evening,  the  wind 
fibating  we  proceeded  a  few  miles  further. 

Thursday  \t>th.  A  tremendous  storm  of  thunder  and  light* 
ping  last  night— 'being  fortunately  in  a  good  harbor  we  suffer^ 
ed  but  little.  Were  not  able  to  get  under  weigh  this  morning 
until  l4te,  A  fine  serene  morning,  strangely  contrasted  with 
the  turbulence  of  last  night.  Came  in  sight  of  the  hills  S  W. 
every  one  bitterly  regretting  that  the  wind  of  yesterday  could  not 
serve  us  her?,  where  there  is  a  view  of  twelve  miles  up  the  riv* 
er.  There  appeiu^  to  reign  an  unusual  calm,  the  sky  cloudless, 
the  river  as  smooth  as  %  m'u*ror.  Words  cannot  coiivey  whit  I 
feel,  {Old  it  is  qnly  thg  lover  of  nature  who  could  understand  inc. 


JOITRKALi 


39» 


The  points  are  tolerably  wooded— At  the  upper  end  of  the 
kng  reach  we  «aw  an  encampment  of  Huiit,  wliere  there  were 
•ppt'arances  of  his  having  remained  one  or  two  days.  Tl>e  bones 
of  buffaloe  whicti  tbejr  had  killed  were  strewed  about.  If  it  be 
their  encampment  »t  the  time  we  were  at  the  river  Platte,  it  b 
not  nwre  than  six  day»  since  they  were  here.  The  reaches  be* 
fore  described  are  now  rarely  seen — the  woods  more  free  from 
undergrowth.  Encamped  be&»«  svihset  on  a  sand  bar  below  te 
coufira^L'OUtHie. 

Friday  I7tk.  A  charming  morning— alight  bdication  of 
wind  from  the  S.  E.  Passed  Sa  coufie  a}  L'OUeUe.  This  name 
originated,  in  the  circvmstance  of  h  trader  having  made  a  nar- 
row  escape,  being  m  the  river  at  the  very  moment  that  this  cUi." 
off  was  forming.  It  was  a  bend  of  fifteen  mites  round,  and  per« 
haps  not  more  than  h  few  hundred  yards  across,  the  neck,  which 
was  suddenly  cut  through  by  the  river,  became  the  fsain  chtrn- 
nel.   This  was  effected  in  a  few  hours. 

While  temaining  a  short  >'irae  at  a  sand  bar  in  ihe  river,  a 
curious  phenomenon  occurrrvi ;  the  sand  began  to  dissolve,  and 
every  instunt  to  diminish  like  the  melting  of  knom,  it  was 
thought  prudent  to  embark  immediately.  This  I  am  inCorm- 
ed  is  net  uafrequent.  Sars  are  sometimes  formed  during  the 
condnoance  of «  smglf  flood,  but  being  principally  of  loose  smd, 
without  any  tiling  to  unite,  as  soon  as  the  waters  begin  to  rise 
again,  is  enurcly  carried  off. 

At  ten  passed  a  simUar  cut-off  called  /«  nitfte  a^  Jacfue.  At 
twelve  contineed  under  sul,  made  Kveral  long  reaches— pass- 
ed tlte  Yellow  banks,  ^nd  encamped  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
Black-bird  hill.  Throughout  this  day  the  river  border  is  c)ue& 
ly  wood. 

Saturday  18/A.  A  fine  breeze  S.  W.— At  seven  arrived  at 
tbv*^  Biack-bird  hill.  As  this  is  one  of  the  curiosities  of  the  Mis* 
scuri,  a  description  may  be  amusing.  It  rises  on  the  common 
range  to  the  height  of  four  or  five  hundred  feet.  The  Missoo- 
ri  at  its  base,  begins  a  strange  windmg  course,  several  dmes  re- 
turning upon  its  steps,  and  at  length  coming  within  nine  hun- 
dred yards  of  where  it  is  first  approached ;  so  that  in  a  course  of 
thirty  mile^  the  Black^bird  hill  is  still  near  us.  It  takes  its  name 


'^  -'-ti 


*%l 


"i^m  i 


-!!.;I'.l 


i 


"250 


journal; 


from  a  celebrated  chit^f  of  the  Mahas,  who  caused  himself  to  be 
interred  on  the  top :  a  mound  has  been  erected  on  the  pinnaclej 
with  a  branch  stuck  in  it,  a  flag  was  formerly  atti\ched  to  it- 
He  was  buried,  sitting  erect  on  horse  back;  the  reason  why  he 
chose  this  spot,  was  to  enable  him  to  see  the  traders  as  they  as- 
cended. This  chief  was  as  famous  in  his  lifetime  amongst  ail 
the  nations  in  this  part  of  the  world,  as  Tamerlane  or  Bajazet 
were  in  the  plains  of  Asia ;  a  superstitious  awe  is  stiil  paid  to  iiis 
grave.  Yet,  the  secret  of  his  greatness  was. nothing  more  noi; 
«^>  less  than  a  quantity  of  arsenic,  which  he  procured  from  some 
trader.  He  denounced  death  against  any  one  who  displeased 
faim,  or  opposed  his  wishes :  it  is  therefore  not  surprising,  tiiat 
he,  who  held  at  his  disposal  the  lives  of  others,  should  posses? 
unlimited  power,  and  excite  universal  terror.  The  proud  sa- 
vage, whenever  this  terrible  being  appeared,  rendered  the  ho- 
mage of  a  slave.  The  gods  and  heroes  of  antiquity,  iwere,  per- 
haps, little  better.  We  may  learn  this  lesson,  that  ignorant  and 
siavage  man,  can  only  be  ruled  through  the  means  of  fear. 

At  four  o'clock,  got  through  the  last  bend,  and  hoisted  sail, 
with  a  fine  wind--~sailed  along  some  hills,  S.  W.  side,  and  en- 
camped amongst  some  cotton  wood,  in  a  low  bottom. 

ounday  \9th.  Continued  our  voyage  this  morning  at  day- 
light, with  sanguine  expectation*^  of  overtaking  the  party  cf  Hunt, 
at  the  Maha  village.  Passed  the  bluffs;  some  of  them  verf^u- 
rious,  faced  with  a  sand  rock,  of  variegated  and  fantastic  hues;  at 
the  first  gl?nce,  it  resembles  the  decorations  of  a  theatre.  Con- 
tinued with  little  interruption,  under  sail,  and  arrived  about 
twelve  at  some  trading  houses;  near  which,  the  Maba  village  is 
situated,  about  two  miles  from  the  river.  We  saw  a  few  Indi- 
ans on  the  bank,  and  several  traders  with  them,  men  who  were 
pxi  the  point  of  setting  off  with  their  peltries.  Hunt  set  out  frnn 
this  on  the  15th,  under  sail. 

Remaining  here  as  short  a  time  as  possible,  ws  continued  our 
voyage,  having  sent  our  interpreter  and  an  Indian,  by  land,  to 
the  Poncas,  to  request  Hunt  to  wait  for  us.  The  wind  continu- 
ed until  towards  evening,  when  it  gradually  died  away.  En- 
camped near  Floyd's  bluff,  and  river,  fourteen  miles  above  the 


JOURNAL. 


33^ 


Mahas.  Sergeant  Floyd,  one  of  the  party  of  Lewis  and  Clark, 
Yf&b  buried  here :  the  place  is  marked  by  a  cross. 

The  appearance  of  the  river  is  much  changed — it  continues 
a  handsome  width,  with  a  diminished  current.  The  banks  low, 
and  the  trees  much  smaller  in  size;  we  now  rarely  see  a  large 
tree.  The  bluffs  ^>d  upland  on  the  N.  £.  side,  are  not  high, 
and  without  any  appearance  of  trees  and  shrubs. 

Monday  20th.  Passed  at  daylight,  the  Great  Sioux  river, 
which  takes  its  rise  in  the  plains,  between  the  Missouri,  and  the 
waters  of  lake  Winipec;  it  is  five  or  six  hundred  miles  in 
length.  I  ascended  the  bluffs,  high  clay  banks  of  sixty,  or  an 
hundred  feet.  The  current  is  here  very  strong.  Hailed  a  tra- 
der,  descending  in  a  large  canoe,  made  of  skins  of  the  buffaloe, 
upwards  of  twenty  feet  in  length,  who  wintered  at  the  river 
a^  Jaque.  He  met  Hunt  eight  leagues  beiow  that  river,  proceed- 
ing with  a  fair  wind,  and  is  by  this  time,  at  the  Qui  Courre.-— 
These  skin  canoes  are  stretched  over  the  red  willow,  and  re- 
quire to  be  frequently  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  dried,  as  they 
would  otherwise  become  too  heow  from  the  quantity  of  water 
absorbed.  We  are  now  nearly  half  way  to  the  place  of  our  des- 
tination. 

Perceive  a  sudden  rise  of  the  water.  Sand  bars  are  nearly- 
all  covered,  and  banks,  in  places,  overflown. 

Tuesday  21«r.  This  morning  fine,  though  somewhat  cool. 
Wind  increasing  from  the  N.  E.  Current  rapid,  but  for  the 
eddies  in  the  bends,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  ascend.— 
There  are  but  few  embarras,  or  collections  of  trees,  fee.  The 
sand  bars  are  fringed  with  a  thick  growth  of  willows,  immedi- 
ately behind  which,  there  are  young  cotton  wood  trees,  forming 
a  handsome  natural  avenue,  twenty  or  thirty  feet  wide.  The 
banks  are  very  low,  and  must  be  inundated  every  season. 

Passed  in  the  evening,  a  rapid,  of  frightful  appearance,  the 
water  foaming  and  rolling  in  waves,  as  if  agituted  by  violent 
wind  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  while  on  either  side  it  was  calm. 
We  were  compelled  to  pass  along  the  sand  bar,  and  through  the 
willows.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  we  could  obtain  dry  land 
this  evening,  the  water,  in  most  places,  flows  into  the  woods.— 
In  the  night,  the  water  had  risen  se  much,  that  the  men  were 


339 


JOimWAt. 


oompelled  to  abandon  iheir  encampment,  and  twcp  on  hoai'd.-^' 
Very  little  prairie  in  the  course  of  this  day,  i)Ut  the  timber  of  a 
smaU  size. 

Wedneaday  22rf.  A  delightfai  day — ll>e  water  has  risen  to 
its  utmost  height,  and  presents  a  vast  expanse— the  current 
UftiiTormly  rapid,  in  some  places  rolling^  with  the  most  furious 
and  terrific  violence.  One  of  these  places,  below  Vermillion 
creek,  was  sufficient  to  appal  the  stoutest  heart :  the  river  forms 
an  elbow  at  the  termination  of  some  biuil^,  the  water,  compress- 
ed between  them  and  the  sand  bar,  dashes  against  the  opposite 
rocks.  The  middle  of  the  river  appeared  several  feet  higher 
than  the  sides.  The  distance  to  cross,  before  we  could  reach 
the  opposite  eddy,  was  no*,  more  than  twice  the  length  of  the 
boat,  but  we  were  not  able  completely  to  effect  it,  being  swept 
down  with  the  rapidity  of  flight,  but  fell  into  the  current  of  the 
opposite  side,  before  it  had  gained  its  full  force,  and  were  able^ 
with  great  difficulty,  to  gain  the  eddy. 

The  high  waters  enable  us  to  cut  off  points,  which  is  no 
small  saving  of  the  distance*  The  water  begins  to  fall,  though 
{;reat  quantities  of  drift  wood  descend,  and  thirty  or  forty  drown* 
ed  buffaloes  pass  by  every  day. 

I  observe  a  much  greater  variety  of  trees  and  shrubs,  than 
below*  aiid  ziome  altogether  new  to  me.  There  is  a  shrub  which 
the  French  call  graiaae  de  boeufy  bearing  a  red  berry,  of  a  pun* 
gent  taste;  its  leaves,  though  smaller  and  more  delicate,  bear  a 
tesemblance  to  thooe  of  a  pear  tree.  In  the  hollows,  clumps  of 
trees  are  usually  found,  but  what  surprises  me,  they  are  ver7 
)ow,  though  some  of  the  oaks  and  ash  are  eighteen  or  twenty 
inches  in  diameter,  they  look  like  orchard  trees,  and  have  much 
greater  resemblance  to  regular  plantations  than  wild  woods. 

Thuraday  93rf.  Water  falling  rapidly— a  fine  breeze  8.  E. 
sailed  until  eleven—passed  the  Hot,  or  Burning  Bluffs,  on  the 
6.  W.  side.  Here  1  observed  enormous  masses  of  pumice,  and 
other  matter,  which  appeared  to  have  undergone  the  action  of 
i^ee*.  of  a  very  high  degree.  I  sa\»  «rhat  was  the  fragment  of  a 
>.Ul,  the  greater  part  at  present  composed  of  pumice.  From  not 
tvcJng  able  to  discover  other  volcanic  appearances,  I  conclud* 


JOURNAL. 


233 


ed  these  appearances  to  have  been  produced  by  the  burning  of^ 
coul. 

About  noon,  espied  a  ntimber  of  persons  on  a  sand  bar,  which 
Vre  al  first  supposed  to  be  Indians,  but  on  a  nearer  approach}  re- 
cognized to  be  Whites,  amongst  them,  a  Mons.  Benit,  factor  ot 
the  Missouri  company,  at  the  Mandan  village.  These  men 
Were  descending  in  a  small  boat,  with  some  peltries.  .  He  tells 
Us  that  the  Indians  are  ill  disposed  to  the  whites,  every  where 
on  the  Missouri;  Mr.  Henry  is  in  a  distressed  situation  ovef 
the  Rocky  mountains^  The  Crow  Indians  are  supposed  to  be 
inimical-^and  the  Sioux  have  broken  out  into  open  hostilities^ 
and  haVe  killed  several  of  the  whites.  Mr.  Benit  and  crew 
^ere  fired  Upon  last  night,  by  what  they  supposed  to  be  SiouX) 
,and  returned  it.     They  did  not  see  the  boats  of  Hunt. 

Proceeded  on  oUr  voyage  at  three  o'clock,  not  a  little  dis- 
heartened at  this  intelligence.  Mr.  Benit  and  One  other  of  the 
company  return  with  us.  t'assed  some  beautiful  upland  N.  E. 
side,  but  without  wood,  an  immense  level  plain  stretches  out,  I 
am  informed,  for  about  an  hundred  miles.  We  observed  a  Sioux 
lodge  or  tent,  of  a  conical  shape,  made  of  skins— it  appears  to  be 
the  custom  of  these  people,  to  leave  their  dead  in  lodges  of 
this  kind,  until  it  be  convenient  for  them  to  gather  up  their 
remains. 

Friday  24M.  Set  off  early— weather  warm.  The  water  is 
falling  very  fast— there  is  still  a  very  strong  current.  Passed 
bluffs  of  a  chalky  appearance,  perhaps  limestone.  A  piece  of  iqe 
floated  by  us  thisioorning,  probably  from  the  breaking  up  of  some 
'of  the  northern  rivers,  which  have  contributed  to  the  present  rise. 
In  putting  off  from  a  bluff  on  the  S.  W.  side,  to  cross  over,  my 
attention  was  called  to  an  object  which  attracted  the  notice  of 
the  coiDpany-  A  hugebuffaloe  bull  mad  his  appearance  on  the 
top  of  the  bluff;  standing  almost  at  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and 
looking  down  Upon  Us.  It  was  the  first  we  had  seen  Long  and 
tnutted  wool  hung  over  his  head,  and  covered  hia  huge  shoulders, 
while  his  body  wes  smofMh,  as  also  the  tail,  exce^it  a  tuft  at  the 
end.  It  was  a  striking  and  terrific  object :  he  eyed  us  wiUi  the 
ferocity  of  the  lion,  seempd  at  length  to  *'  snuff  the  tainted  gale/* 
threw  his  head  iato  the  air,  wheeled,  round,  and  trotted  off. 

rf 


2U 


jovnsxu 


Had  u  fine  breeze  towuvcJs  cvrnin(;~*vrhicli  enabled  ub  to 
mulic  live  or  bix  miica  more  than  we  expected. 

&'aturdmy  2bffi.  This  iTiorning  ran  a  ground,  and  were  de- 
tained several  hours  Pubscd  the  nvcr  a""  Jague  i  the  principal 
rendezvous  of  tlio  traders  with  the  YunUton  Sioux.  It  is  a  large 
handsome  hiream,  tolerably  well  suited  for  a  Rniall  settlement. 

It  is  bcconiini;  very  warm.  Went  out  on  a  delightful  prai<' 
*)  rio,  t!;L>  ^rass  short,  of  a  deep  blue,  and  intermixed  with  a  great 

*  variety  of  bcuulilul  flowers.     I  am  forbidden  to  wander  far,  on 

account  ol  the  Indians,  who  it  is  thought  may  be  near.  Wc 
discovered  this  morning,  a  great  deal  of  smoke  up  the  river-., 
we  supposed  this  to  be  a  iiotiBcation  of  the  Indian  spies,  of  our 
approacli.  Wc  are  now  in  the  open  country-^no  woods  are  to 
be  seen,  except  some  slender  cotton  wood  trees  in  the  points, 
and  some  clumps  in  the  hollows  of  the  upland.  The  beauty  of 
the  scenery,  this  evening,  exceeds  any  thing  I  ever  beheld.— ^ 
The  sky  as  clear  as  in  a  Chinese  painting,  the  country  delightful. 
Convert  the  most  beautiful  parts  of  England,  or  France,  into 
one  meadow,  leaving  a  trifling  proportion  of  wood,  and  some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  tliis.  But  there  appears  to  be  a  painful 
void — something  Wanting — it  can  be  nothing  else  than  a  popular 
tion  of  animated  beings.  It  were  vain  to  describe  the  melancholy 
silence  which  reigns  over  these  vast  plains.  Yet  they  seem  to 
give  a  spring  to  the  intellectual  faculties.  One  never  feels  his 
unutrstandhjg  so  vigorous^- or  thiiiks  so  clearly.  Were  it  safe, 
with  what  delight  would  1  roam  over  these  lovely  meads! 

The  water  has  fallen,  and  the  current  is  much  lessened. 

Sunday  26th.  At  daylight,  discovered  a  canoe  descending 
with  two  men,  who  prove  to  be  those  sent  by  us,  to  Hunt.  They 
bring  inforniauon  that  he  has  agreed  to  wait  for  us  at  the  Poncas 
village,  where  he  intends  to  remain  some  days. 

Saw  some  bufPaloe  to  day,  and  with  Mr.  Lisa,  went  several 
miles  in  pursuit  of  them,  but  without  success. 

Passed  a  beautiful  island  Visle  a>  bon  hotr  me,  upon  which 
there  is  the  remains  of  an  ancient  fortification .  In  the  evening 
our  hunter  killed  a  buffaloe,  upon  which  we  all  feasted. 

Mondatj  "27 th.  Had  to  oppose  a  contrary  wind,  until  eleven. 
At.one,  arrived  at  the  Ponca?  village,  where  -we  remained  until 


JOtnNAL. 


2ni 


five.  On  our  approach,  we  found  the  whole  village  crowclcd  on 
the  bunk)  and  flcvt-rtkl  hud  wudcd  up  to  the  wuist  in  the  water.-— 
The  greater  part  of  the  men  were  nuked;  thu  women  and  chil- 
dren filthy  and  disgustin]^.  According  to  custom,  had  a  talk  with 
the  chiefs,  to  whom  vc  made  some  triflmg  presents.  Hunt  hud 
not  waited  for  us,  according  to  promise.  Saw  two  men,  who  hud 
probably  deserted  from  him,  they  informed  us.  that  as  soon  as 
he  heard  of  our  approach,  which  was  quite  unexpected,  be  hud 
determined  to  exert  himself  to  the  utmo'^t,  to  get  out  of  our 
reach.  The  fact  is,  there  does  not  exist  the  greatest  confidence 
betwcn  the  two  commanders.  Ours  seems  to  think,  tha^  '  is 
the  .lention  of  Hunt,  to  pass  the  Sioux,  who  may  wis'  .e- 
taiu  him,  by  telling  them  that  their  trader  is  coming  uu  with 
goods  for  them.  While  on  the  other  hand,  Hunt  may  believo 
that  iwisa  intends  to  pass  him,  and  tell  the  same  story.  It  is 
therefore  determined  to  push  our  voyuge,  if  posaible,  still  more 
than  before. 

Encamped  above  the  Qui  Courre  river— a  most  beautiful 
country,  but  very  little  wood.  The  country  is  much  more 
hilly. 

Tuesday  2Bih.  Weather  smoWy,  and  extremely  warm.  High 
land  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  with  some  dwarf  trees  in  the 
hollows,  principally  cedar.  At  ten,  a  fine  breeze  springing  up, 
we  continued  under  sail  the  rest  of  the  duy,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  night,  determining  to  strain  every  nerve,  in  order  to 
overtake  Hunt.  There  is  acarcely  any  bottoms  from  the  Qui 
Courre. 

IVedneaday  S9/A.  After  lying  by  a  few  hours,  at  one  o'clock, 
again  continued  under  sail-^but  the  moon  disappearing,  and  it 
becoming  dark,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  lie  by  until  daylight. 
The  hills  hereabout,  high  and  broken,  a<id  little  or  no  river 
bottom  on  either  aide.  At  two  o'clock,  ai'rived  at  a  beautiful 
island,  called  Little  Cedar  island,  on  which  grows  fine  cedar, 
the  trees  uncommonly  large.  This  is  a  delightful  spot,  the  ^oil 
of  the  island  is  rich,  and  it  may  contain  about  three  thousand 
acres—the  middle  of  the  island  is  a  beautiful  prairie-^the  adja- 
cent tfouotry  is  bleak  and  barren.  At  the  point  of  the  island, 
discovered  an  encampment  of  Hunt,  and  on  exami:iatiQn>  we 


m 


JOURNAL. 


clistrbvercd,  to  the  ^reat  joy  of  the  company)  that  the  fire 
wus  not  yet  extinguished;  it  is  therefore  but  u  few  days  since 
they  were  here.  Continued  under  sail  until  1 1  at  night)  having 
in  little  better  than  twenty-four  hours,  made  seventy-five  miles. 

Thursday  30th.  This  morning,  favored  with  a  continuance 
of  fair  wind-  The  country  is  exceedingly  rough  and  bro- 
ken— the  greater  part  without  the  least  vegetation.  The  hills 
have  a  very  singular  appearance.  Near  the  top  they  look  black, 
and  seem  to  have  been  burnt.  About  noon,  saw  some  tracks, 
vrhich  we  supposed  to  be  of  yesterday. 

In  the  evening,  passed  a  very  fine  river,  called  White  river, 
about  three  hundred  yards  at  the  mouth.  Here  there  is  some 
bottom  land,  and  wood  points ;  the  hills  covered  with  grass — . 
Heard  several  gun  shots,  which  we  supposed  to  have  been  from 
the  party  of  Hunt.     This  evening  the  wind  abated. 

J'^riday  3\st.  This  morning,  u  contrary  wind,  and  some  rain. 
Proceeded  wiUi  the  cordeile.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  saw  a 
large  flock  of  antelopcs>— they  appear  to  be  numerous  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  Ooscrved  in  the  sand,  a  number  of  Indian 
tracks,  and  a  place,  where  it  appeared  that  the  boats  of  Mr.  Hunt 
had  stopped  with  the  Indians  some.  time.  One  of  our  men 
discovered  a  curious  place,  contrived  by  the  Indians,  for  taking 
fish ;  it  was  something  like  a  fjsb  ,basket~we  found  two  fine 
catfish  in  it. 

When  about  to  put  into  the  river,  to  cross  to  a  point,  we  dis- 
covered three  buflTaloe,  swimming  towards  us,  and  contrary  to 
the  precautions  we  had  agreed  to  observe,  in  making  uo  noise, 
least  we  should  be  discovered  by  the  Indians,  who  were  probably 
in  the  neighborhood,  a  firing  was  commenced  upon  the  poor 
animals,  which  continued  half  an  hour.  The  report  of  the  guns, 
as  might  have  been  foreseen,  brought  an  Indian  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  but  we  were  too  far  in  the  river,  to  return  to  him,  or  to  be 
heard. 

Towards  evening,  the  boat  having  received  some  injury,  was 

compelled  to  stop — went  in  pursuit  of  a  bufTatoe  calf — on  my 

return  four.d  the  party  somewhat  uneasy  oh  account  of  the 

lenerth  of  my  stay,  having  been  drawn  by  the  eagerncas  of  pur- 

■  suit  to  a  considerable  distance,  ' 


JOURNAL. 


isr 


Saturday ^  June  \at.  At  duy light  heard  a  ngtnb^r  of  gun| 
fired  00  the  hills  below  us  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Wq 
Duw  concluded  that  uU  our  preqaution  and  labor  h^d  been  vain* 
That  we  should  be  robbed  and  killed,  or  at  least  compelled  to 
return.  They  soon  arrived  opposite  to  us,  with  ^n  America 
flap^,  and  fired  one  or  two  gun^.  There  was  bi^t  one  thing  tq 
be  done,  which  was  to  cross  over  to  them  at  oi)ce,and  meet  the 
worst,  every  man  preparing  himself  for  defence.  Each  rowef 
had  his  gun  by  his  side — Mr-  Ias&  and  myself,  besides  our  knives 
and  rifica,  had  each  on?  u  pair  of  pistols  in  our  belts.  Qn  rtach? 
ing  the  shore  we  discovered  twelve  or  thirteen  Indians  on  a  log, 
Mr-  Lisa  and  I,  leaped  on  shore  {^pd  %hook  hands  with  them-^p- 
We  supposed  that  the  principal  body  was  conce^lpd  behind  iQ 
tlie  woods,  so  as  to  be  at  hand  if  necessc^ry.  Having  no  inter- 
preter at  this  critical  juncture,  we  were  fearful  of  not  being  un- 
derstood :  however,  with  the  aid  of  signs,  a  language  with  whicl| 
Mr  Lisa  was  well  acquainted,  he  was  enabled  to  communicate 
tolerably  well.  He  told  them  that  h^  w^s  their  tra,der,  but  that 
he  had  been  very  uniortunate,  all  the  peltries  whiph  he  had  col- 
lected amongst  theim  having  been  burnt,  and  his  young  men,  who 
had  passed  2  years  before  to  go  to  the  head  of  the  Missouri,  were 
attacked  and  distressed  by  the  Indians  of  those  parts,  who  are  ba4 
people.  That  he  was  now  poor,  and  much  to  be  pitied ;  that  h|D 
was  going  to  bring  back  his  young  men,  having  resolved  to  cpn- 
iiuc  himself  to  the  lower  country.  He  concluded,  by  telling  (hem 
that  he  intended  to  return  in  three  months  to  establish  a  trading 
house  at  the  Cedar  island,  and  requesjted  tUe  chief  to  send  word 
of  it  to  all  the  Sipu^  bands.  This  story,  together  with  a  hand- 
some present,  produced  the  desired  effect,  though  not  without 
so\nc  reluctance.  We  remained  here  as  short  9  time  as  possi- 
ble, and  re-crossed  the  river.  The  chief  is  a  fine  looking  Indi- 
an, the  others  were  very  young  men,  nearly  naked,  \i'ith  long 
braids  of  hair  hanging  down  their  foreheads ;  they  are  the  best 
looking  people  I  have  seen.  It  is  two  dayn  since  Hunt  passed 
here.  We  did  not  cease  to  use  every  cxertioU)  considering  it  still 
possible  that  we  might  be  stopped. 

AboQt  twelve  reached  the  great  bend,  twenty-one  miles 
■around,  and  only  one  and  an  half  across.  Two  men  were  sent  to 


339 


JOURNAU 


notify  the  boats  of  our  near  approach.  In  the  evening  a  strong 
tvind  from  the  N.  E.  which  would  hardly  have  been  favorablo 
in  any  other  part  of  the  river,  enabled  us  to  hoist  sail,  and  what 
is  singular,  continued  changing  to  suit  the  running  of  the  river. 
We  by  this  means  made  fifteen  miles— some  part  of  the  timo 
it  blew  with  violence,  accompanied  by  rain. 

Sunday  2d.  Set  out  with  my  gun  early  this  morning,  on  the 
S.  W.  side  of  the  river— walked  about  four  miles  along  the  riv- 
er hills,  and  with  much  satisfaction  perceived  at  a  distance  the 
boats  of  Mr.  Hunt.  I  returned  immediately  to  give  the  joyful 
intelligence  to  our  people.  On  coming  opposite  the  place 
where  J  had  seen  the  boats,  we  discovered  a  great  number  of 
Indians,  who  beckoned  to  us  to  cross ;  but  supposing  them  to  be 
Sioux,  we  determined  to  continue  on  until  we  should  overtake 
the  party  before  us.  We  suffered  them  to  shout,  to  gallop  their 
horses,  and  to  wave  their  robes  unnoticed.  Some  distance  above, 
our  men  came  to  us,  they  had  been  with  Hunt,  the  Indiana  we 
had  just  past,  were  a  party  of  three  hundred  Arikaras,  who, 
on  hearing  of  our  approach,  had  come  for  the  purpose  of  ena- 
bling us  to  ascend-  It  appears  also,  that  we  have  passed  all  the 
3ioux  bands,  who  had  been  seen  by  Hunt,  but  probably  finding 
his  party  too  strong,  they  had  resolved  to  stop  and  plunder  ours, 
that  we  must  have  past  them  in  the  night  or  under  sail)  as  they 
did  not  expect  to  hear  from  us  so  soon. 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  overtook  Hunt's  party,  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  our  little  company.  It  was  with  real  pleasure  I 
took  my  friend  Bradbury  by  the  hand ;  I  have  reason  to  believe 
pur  meeting  was  much  more  cordial  than  that  of  the  two  com- 
manders. Continued  under  sail  in  company  the  rest  of  the  day^ 
forming  a  handsome  little  fleet  of  five  sail.  Encamped  in  the 
evening  opposite  the  larger  Cedar  island,  twelve  hundred  miles 
Irom  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri. 


JOURNAL. 


^9 


CHAPTER  V. 


Monday  June  5d.  A  strong  wind  from  the  N.  E.  thit  morn- 
ing, compelled  us,  tfter  proceeding  a  few  miles,  to  encamp  for 
the  remainder  of  the  daf .  Took  my  gun,  and  set  off  to  make 
an  excursion.  The  country  is  altogether  open,  excepting  some 
groves  of  cotton  wood  in  the  bottom.  The  upland  rises  into  con- 
siderable hills,  about  one-third  covered  with  a  very  short  grasS} 
intermixed  with  a  great  variety  of  plants  and  flowers,  the  rest 
consists  of  hills  of  clay,  bare  of  almost  every  kind  of  vegetation. 
On  the  tops  of  the  higher  hills,  at  some  distance  from  the  rivcrt 
there  are  masses  of  granite,  of  several  tons  weight,  and  great 
quantities  of  pebbles.  In  the  course  of  my  ramble^  I  happened  on 
a  village  of  barking  squirrels,  or  prairie  dogs,  as  they  have  been 
called.  My  approach  was  announced  !  /  an  incessant  barking) 
or  rather  chirping,  similar  to  that  of  a  common  squirrel,  though 
much  louder.  The  village  was  situated  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  and 
appeared  to  be  at  least  two  miles  in  length  (  the  holes  were  sel- 
dom at  a  greater  distance  from  each  other  than  twenty  or  thirty 
paces.  Near  each  hole,  there  was  a  small  elevation  of  earth, 
of  six  or  eight  inches,  behind  which,  the  little  animal  posted 
himself,  and  rever  abandoned  it,  or  ceased  his  demonstrations  of 
alarm,  "  insignificantly  fierce,"  until  I  approached  within  a  few 
paces.  As  I  proceeded  through  the  village,  they  disappeared, 
one  after  another,  before  me.  There  was  never  more  than  one 
at  each  hole.  I  had  heard  that  the  magpie,  the  Missouri  rattle 
snake,  and  the  horn  frog,  were  observed  to  frequent  these  places ; 
but  I  did  not  see  any  of  them,  except  the  magpie.  The  rattle 
snake  of  the  prairies,  is  about  the  saiae  length  with  the  common 
rattle  snake,  but  more  slender,  and  tie  color  white  and  black. 

Mr.  Bradbury  has  n^ct  with  great  success  in  his  pursuit.— « 
He  has  found  nearly  an  hundred  unde  icribed  plants.  Within  a 
few  days  he  has  found  a  great  number,  which  he  calls  Mexican. 
The  country  thus  far,  has  offered  nothing  remarkable  as  to  mi- 
nerals.   There  is  in  company;  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Nut- 


joxmnKt. 


tel<  engaged  in  the  same  pursuits)  to  which  he  appears  singular' 
ly  devoted  ;  it  seems  to  ubsorb  every  thoughti  so  uh  to  bi  trou« 
ff  bh'some  to  the  company,  which  has  some .imes  to  wuii  for  him ; 
it  appears  to  have  done  uwuy  every  regurd  of  personal  safety.— < 
Tu  the  igtioiaiit  Canadian  boatmen,  who  are  unable  to  upprcci* 
•tethe  laciunce,  it  af^brds  a  subject  of  n^rriment;  lefouy  the 
ibol,  is'the  name  by  which  he  is  commonly  known.  No  sooner 
^es  the  boat  touch  the  shore,  than  he  leaps  out.  and  whei,  hie 
Mtention  is  arrested  by  a  plant  O'  fiuwer,ev<ry  thing  else  isior- 
:gott«n.  The  inquiry  is  sometimes  made,  ■^ju^  eat  lefou?  where 
H\\!»bM\liit»tafiriHrama«ter4caracineii^  he  is  gathering 
Iroots.  'Ue  is  ayoutvg  man  of  genius,  and  very  considerable  ac- 
^^  ^ulrement!h  but  is  unfon«n)at(ily> too  much  devoted  to  his  favor- 
•itesiu£>y.  A  cbaracterisv  x  anecdoie  of  thiu  gentleman  wuh  re- 
lated to  raie,  by  Mr.  Miller,  wIm>  commanded  one  of  the  bouts^ 
•ftno  shevrs  to  what  an  astonishing  degree  the  pursuit  of  natural 
■historyhad  taken  possession  of  his  mind,  to  the  exclusion  of 
>ivery  thing  else.  The  day  after  passings  the' Sioux  tribes,  thc^' 
>snet,  a»  1  have  before  mentioned,  three  hundred  Arikaru  Indi- 
mns,  these -were  so  delighted  t6  see  them,  that  a  number  ruslied 
'into  the  riverrto  swim  or  wude  to  the  boub;  the  party  suppos- 
ing fhem  to  be  inimical,  was  on  the  point  of  Biing ;  wl>ile every 
-one  w*as  in  momentary  expectation  that  this  woiild  take  place, 
'NuttAlj'Who  appeared  to  have  been  examining  them  very  atten- 
'tively, tuiwed  to  Mtller,  "sir,"  said  he,  "don't  you  think  these 
^Inaians  much  Matter,  Hnd  more  robust  than  those  of  yesterday." 
In  the  course  df  the  evening,  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
Idte  manlier  in  whieh  the  antelope  is  hunted  in  the.e  open  plains, 
"^^here  there  is  no  possibility  of  approaching  by  insidiotis means. 
t/^  'A  hanklkerohi^f  is  placed  on  the  end- of  a  ramrod,  and  waved 
'in  the  stir,  the  hunter  lying  flaton  the  ground.  If  any  of  the  ani- 
'nrnls  be  in  night,  they  run  inistantiy  to  the  place,  and  perform  a 

crrctiit  around,  approaching  often  within  twenty  or  thirty  yards, 
"tvhich  gives  an  opportunity  of  firing  on  them. 

The  party  of  Mr.  Hunt  consists  ot  aLout  eighty  men,  chiefly 

Canadmns;  the  rest  are  American  hunters. 

'Turn(ta.j  4th.    Set  off  at  seven— wind  contrary,  though  not 
"V  strong  «s  yesterday.     After  doubling  a  point,  we  found  that 


jotmKAL; 


m 


from  the  courKc  of  the  river,  the  wind  would  be  favorable^  and 
occordint^ly  Hailed  for  eight  or  ten  miles.  We  taw  at  the  mouth 
of  a  small  creek,  a  herd  of  bufTaloe,  of  several  hundred.  The 
appearance  of  the  country  has  varied  but  little  for  several  days 
past.  Bleak  and  dreary— the  bottoms  narrow;  in  some  places 
none  at  all,  and  clay  bluffs. 

Wednesday  ith.  This  morning;  after  proceeding  a  short 
distance,  we  wore  compelled,  by  rain,  to  put  to  shore>  where 
■we  remained  until  the  afternoon,  and  finding  no  appearav^ce  of 
the  weather  clearing  up,  crossed  to  the  S.  W.  side,  where  Mr. 
Hunt  was  encamped. 

I  took  a  walk  with  Mr.  Bradbury— in  the  course  of  which,  I 
saw  a  number  of  antelopes,  bufTaloe,  and  villages  of  prairie  dogs* 
At  some  distance  from  the  river,  there  is  not  the  least  appear' 
ancc  of  a  tree  or  shrub.  The  country  appears  to  rise  gradually. 
There  was  something  picturesque  in  the  appearance  of  herds  of 
bufTaloe,  slowly  winding  round  the  sides  ofthe  distant  hills,  dis- 
appearing in  some  hollow,  and  again  emerging  to  view.  The 
whole  extent  of  the  plain  is  covered  with  ordure,  as  in  a  pat* 
ture  ground.  Wide  and  beaten  roads  are  every  where  to  be 
seen. 

On  my  return,  I  found  that  a  disagreeable  misunderstandinij; 
liad  taken  place  between  the  two  chiefs  of  the  parties.  The  in- 
terpreter of  Mr.  Hunt,  had  been  in  the  employment  of  the  com- 
puny,  and  was  indebted  to  it.  Mr.  Lisa  had  several  times  men  • 
tioncd  to  him  the  impropriety  of  his  conduct,  and  perhaps  had 
made  him  some  offers,  in  order  to  draw  him  from  his  present  ser- 
vice. This  was  certainly  imprudent,  and  placed  him  in  the  power 
of  a  worthless  fellow,  who,  without  doubt  retailed  the  conversa- 
tion to  his  master,  with  some  additions.  This  evening,  while  in 
Hunt's  cump,  to  which  he  had  gone  on  some  business,  he  was 
grossly  insulted  by  the  interpreter,  who  struck  him  several 
times,  and  seized  a  pair  of  pistols  belonging  to  Hunt ;— that  gen- 
tleman did  not  seem  to  interest  himself  much  in  the  affair,  being 
actuated  by  feelings  of  resentment,  at  the  attempt  to  inveigle  his 
man.  On  my  return  to  our  camp,  I  found  Mr.  Lisa  furious  with 
rage,  buckling  on  his  knife,  and  preparing  to  return:  finding  that 
I  could  itot  dissuade,  I  resolved  to  accompany  him.  It  was  with 


ri;i 


m 


JOUflNAL. 


%h*  Kr*a^^  difllcuHjr  I  su<;ce«^cl  in  preventing  tke  luost  seri' 
fitm  c^M/oq^nw*,  1  h«U  Kveral  timeft  to  stand  between  him 
IMUQ  the  inieffVctfeT}  who  ^iMi «  pitriloL  in  e«di  hitnd.  ]  am  sorry 
to  ikijtf  that  there  wa»  bat  iitlk^  (UtipositioA  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Hunt)  to  jH'event  the  miechkC  thet  might  have  arisen.  1  must*  in 
justice  to  him,  declare  l^owever,  that  it  was  througli  him  that 
Mr:  ft^'CleU«Ad*  wa»  induced  net  to  put  hia  threat  in  execution 
]Mvh>g  p|«i48e<i  M  honor  to  tlnit  efilbet.  1  fiuaJily  raccetded  in 
iH'iB^iBS  iLiaa  off  to  hoa  boat'  When  it  ia  reocdkctcd  that  this 
yrm  ^i  tiM^  diat«poc  of  thirte^  hundred  nules.firom  aU  civil  au- 
thority, or  power,  it  will  be  seen  that  there  «aa  bwt  little  to  re< 
f  tcaw  thQ  eSccta  o{  animoskjr.  Having  obcamcd  in  isetme  mea- 
iuupe)  the  conideAce  o(  Nk>  Hdnit  and  the  gentlemen  who  were 
.wiiJ»  luna,  and  Mr.  BradjiMpryi  that  of  Mr.  Lisa,  we  mutually 
.agre«Kl  4»  use  aU  ^  art»  of  mediation  io  our  f>«wer>  a>d  if  pos- 
HiUie,  ptvveat  asf  thing  aerkms. 

Thumda^fith.  Weaher  «lieaiving  Q|ik  The  water  rising  very 
£iui|—- svy>p9s^  the  ^anuai  flood.  This  momiog  passed  the  ruins 
.o£  ;^iujiiia|i^  viUaiCe,  tlieive  wei«  great  pUea  of  bufaioe  bonea,  and 
i}llaotij^ea  of  earthen  w^re.  The  vilHige  appears  to  have  been 
scattered  round  a  kind  of  citadel,  or  fortification,  enclosing  four 
or  ^ve  «cce9f  affd-of  an  oval  form.  Tive  earth  ia  thrown  up  about 
four  fiaet;  thcjre  are  a  few  cedar  palisadoes  renudnioig.  Probably., 
i0.case»  of  siege*.  tl)e  whole  village  was  crowded  into  this  space. 
.,  Jfridayi  7-tU'  Continued  under  way  as  usual*  AU  kind  of  ui- 
^rcourse  between  the  l,eaders  lm»  ceased.  In  the  evening, 
passedsevcraiold  viih^Sssatd  tobeof  the  Ankara  nation.  The 
jMi;toau»  or  points,  become  wider,  end  t^e  hiufis  of  a  less  dis" 
gusting  appearance ;,  there  a««  bnt  few  clagr  h«Us»  the  country 
being  generally  covered  with  g{ias»* 

Saturday  9nh.     Qw^xiof  wiud  to  day— though  defightfial 
weather.    This  uwfvif^^  jHWised  a  large  and  handsome  riveri 


^  A  vMMa*  enmity  •Misted  on  tfte  j^art  of  Mr.  MTldland,  towards 
Llaa^  in  ooaaequenoe  of  «o«fte  coaduot  of  the  Utter,  in  the  trade — and 
he  had  deckred,  that  if  ever  hefeii  ir  withliaa,  in  the  Indian  country, 
he  would  shoot  him.  Tboae  >»ho  fcuiow  M'Clelland,  wwld  not  be  sar< 
prised  that  such  a  threat  should  be  put  in  execution. 


JOUftNlL. 


d^ 


called  the  Cbienne^  S.  W.  side.  It  uppears  sA  lan^  ^  tlw. 
mouth  MS  the  Ciifnberi»nd  or  Tennessee.  Saw  uc  tbi&pitf«ef  thCk 
ruins  of  an  old  village,  and  {Mii&etetioH.  "The  ecMntrjr  tkene- 
abouts  is  fine,  and  better  wooded  than  mif  I  hav<e  seen  ibc  the 
last  three  httftdred  miles.  A  totei'able  settlement  miglut  be  sup<> 
ported  here.  Game  is  verjr  abundant>-^elk,  deer,  and  ba0bk«y 
frilhout  number. 

£ncain|ted  a  few  miles  alkOTe  the  Chiennc  riv«r^  in  a  fafeau- 
tiful  bottom.  No  art  can  surpass  the  bcautjrDf  this  spot;  tree& 
of  different  kinds,  shrvibs,  plants,  iiowen,  mcauteiw,  and  oplaady 
charnungly  disposed.  What  coolness  and  freshness  breotfaea 
around  I  The  river  is  bordered  with  cotton  wtoadi  and  a  few  efans^ 
there  is  then  an  open  space  of  3iQot  40  paces,  after  w4uch  begins  a 
delightful  shrubbery  «f  smaU  ash  trees,  the  graisse  de  boeuSi  the 
gooseberry,  currant,  See.  forming  a  most  deliglitl»l  avenue.  We 
all  remark,  that  the  singing  of  the  birds  is  much  sweeter  thaa 
in  the  forest  of  the  states.  This  b  fimcifully  accounted  lior  by 
Mr.  Bradbury,  from  the  effects  of  society:  from  the  leantincss 
of  woods,  they  are  compelled  to  crowd  on  the  same  tree,  and  ia 
the  same  grove,  and  in  this  way,  impart  inipravement  to  each 
other.  Assunung  it  as  a  fact,  that  the  birds  of  Europe  sing  bct« 
ter  than  those  of  America,  be  asks,  can  it  be  owing  to  any  otbc* 
reason  than  this? 

The  musketoes  have  been  exceedingly  troublesome  for  se* 
veral  days  past.  They  disappear  in  the  evemngs,  which  are 
cool,  or  with  the  slightest  wind.  >«  <•- 

Sunday  9th.  Qot  under  way  thlamoroing,  with  ftne  we»« 
ther.  Discovered  great  numbers  of  buffaloe ;  on  the  N  W-  side, 
an  extensive  level  meadow.  Numbers  began  to  swim  across 
the  river,  as  the  party  of  Hunt,  who  were  before  us,  got  oppo> 
site ;  they  waited,  and  killed  at  many  as  they  wished;  a  number 
which  were  started  from  an  island,  swam  towards  us,  and  we 
killed  several  also. 

Mr.  Bradbury  and  I  went  out  en  the  N.  W.  side,  where  the 
buffaloe  had  been  first  seen,  and  wttlkod  seveml  miles.  A  very 
beautiful  and  extensive  meadow,  at  bMt  a  mile  wide,  hut  with- 
out a  tree  or  a  shrub— the  upland  equally  bare.  Pasted  »  Siousi 
encampment  ef  last  frH— from  Appeaninces  ihete  must  have 


,0 


^- 


'J44 


JOVIlKAt. 


been  three  or  four  hundred  here.  Amongst  other  things,  out* 
ourloihy  vm*  dtfrttCietl,  by  •  olrculur  spaoo,  about  twenty  feet  In 
dlnincter,  onckned  with  poleiit  wtth  a  post  in  the  middle,  puintod 
red,  und  at  tome  dlttanoo,  m  bufn»loe  head  placed  \\\wu  u  littlo 
mound  of  earth.  We  are  told,  this  ii  a  place  whore  an  incanta* 
tlon  for  rendering  tiid  bufi\iloe  pUntyt  had  been  performed.—- 
An)ong;(it  other  ccrcmonluit,  the  pipe  in  prcHcntod  to  the  head.  ' 

At  four  o'clock  hoiktcd  sail  with  a  favorable  wind.  Paascd 
H  aurprlaing  number  of  buflTaloe  In  the  couvao  of  this  day,  Rome 
het'di  on  the  aldei  of  tlie  hllli,  not  lois  than  a  thousand.  To- 
wards evening  wo  saw  a  great  number  crowded  on  the  sand 
boaoh  at  tiio  foot  of  an  island,  proceeding  with  caution,  we  ap- 
proached under  sail  within  twenty  or  thirty  yards,  and  selecting 
the  fattest,  wo  tired  upon  him  at  once  {  and  notwithstanding  that 
he  hud  received  several  wound;*,  he  endeavored  to  inuke  ofF.— 
We  pursued  him  lnt(>  the  islund,  the  animal  iiad  now  become  fc- 
rn'ious  from  his  wounds,  and  ir  wu!i  dangerous  to  approach  him. 
It  was  not  until  Ho  had  received  the  contents  of  ten  or  twclvo 
guns,  that  ho  *.vtts  brought  to  the  ground.  The  island  is  bcnu- 
tifVil.  It  is  completely  surrouiulod  by  cotton  wood  and  cedar 
tre«8,  but  the  apaco  within  is  a  beautiful  clear  meadow.  On 
tl)o  edges  of  the  woods  m  the  inside,  there  arc  great  quaniiiicH 
of  currant  and  gooseberry  bushes;  these  islandsi  are  mucli  uliko 
In  this  respect.    They  aria  more  beautiful  than  any  I  have  seen. 

Atondaij  lOth,  During  tho  whole  of  this  duy  had  u  tine  wind 
iwhich  enabled  us  to  make  thirty-Hve  miles.  Kncum|K*d  op|iU' 
•ite  a  handsome  stream,  called  Ser-war-cerna,  N.  VV. 

The  country  wears  a  handsumo  aspect;  the  hills  gently  swell.< 
ing,  and  some  delightful  prairie  on  the  river.  There  is  but  lit« 
tlo  wood.  In  the  course  of  the  day  wo  saw  great  numbers  of 
buffaloe,  in  herds  of  several  hundred  each.  ■ 

7W«(/ay  IWA  Couitijiued  our  voyugO  with  a  slight  wind* 
The  country  nmch  tho  same  as  that  of  yesterday.i  taicumpud 
Bome  distance  below  "ithe  islaoa  on  which  ilio  Arika)*a  vittamo 
was  situated  some  years  agor-*they  have  removed  uar^ic  nulus 
further  up.  This  evenUtg  1  ireiu  to  tho  camp  of  Mr.  itiuiii  tu 
ynake  ai'Cangpments  aa  to  tiie  manner  of  arriving  at  tho  viliu^e, 
l^^rpf  roccivin|s  ^)o  chipff.  1kiki»  is  the  fir^t  timo  our  chiefs  havQ 


JOUltNAL. 


all 


liiul  any  Ititevcourne  directly  or  incUrontly  since  the  quarrel.-* 
Mr.  Lisa  uppeurod  to  bo  suftpoctcd,  they  itiippoiied  hit  intention 
to  be,  to  tuko  Bdvantuge  of  his  influence  with  the  Ariittira  nationi 
nnd  do  their  party  some  injury  in  revenge.  1  pledged  myself 
tliut  this  should  not  be  the  case. 

Wednriittay  IS/A.  Heavy  rains  accompanied  by  thunder  and 
liglitninfi^  iust  night. 

At  nine  o'cloclc  two  of  the  ■'Chiefs  wit?'  the  Interpreter  em- 
ployed by  the  company,  cumo  on  board  our  boat.  They  are 
boili  fine  looking  mcn<  muctt  above  the  common  size,  and  with 
much  fuircr  complexions  than  any  Indians  I  have  scrn.  At  ten 
wo  put  to  shore  opposite  the  village,  in  order  to  dry  our  bag- 
Rnge,  which  w««  foniplctoly  wet.  The  leaders  of  the  party  of 
Hunt  were  still  suspicious  that  Lisa  intended  to  betray  them.— 
IVi'Clcllund  declared  that  lie  would  shoot  him  the  moment  he 
discovered  any  tiling  like  it.  In  tlto  moan  time,  the  chief  spoke 
across  the  river,  which  is  here  ubout  a  half  a  mile  wide,  wo  un- 
derstood that  he  was  giving  orders  to  prepare  the  council  lodge. 
The  village  appeared  to  occupy  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
along  the  river  bank,  on  a  level  plain,  the  country  behind  it  rising 
into  hills  of  considerable  height.  There  are  little  or  nb  woodli 
any  where  to  be  seen.  The  lodges  are  of  a  conical  shape,  and 
look  like  heaps  of  earth.  A  great  number  of  horses  are  seen 
feuding  in  the  plains  around,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  hills.  I 
espied  a  number  cf  squaws,  in  canoes,  descending  the  river  and 
landing  at  tlie  village.  The  interpreter  informed  me,  that  they 
were  returning  home  with  wood.  These  canoes  are  made  of  a 
single  buflaloe  hide,  stretched  over  osiers,  and  are  of  a  circular 
form.  There  was  but  one  woman  in  each  canoe,  who  kneeled 
down,  and  instead  of  paddling  sideways,  places  the  paddle  before ; 
the  loud  is  fastened  to  the  canoe.  The  water  being  a  little  rough 
these  canoes  sometimes  almost  disappeared  between  the  waveS) 
which  produced  a  curious  cflTcct;  the  squaws  with  the  help  of  a 
little  fancy,  might  be  supposed,  mermaids  sporting  on  the  bil- 
lows \  the  canoe  rising  and  sinking  with  them,  while  the  women 
were  visible  iron)  the  waist  upwards. 

About  two  o'clock  fourteen  of  us  crossed  over,  and  accom- 
panied tlie  chief  to  his  lodge.    Mats  were  laid  around  for  us  to 


E! 


I 


34» 


JOURNAL. 


git  on«  vhile  he  placed  himseli'  oa  a  kind  of  :*ool  or  bench.  The 
pipe  was  handed  around,  and  smoked;  after  which,  the  herald, 
(every  chief  or  great  noaD,  has  one  of  taem)  ascended  the  top  of 
the  lodge  and  seated  himself  near  an  open  place,  and  began  to 
bawl  out  like  one  of  our  town  criers;  the  chief  every  now  and 
then  addressing  something  to  him  through  the  aperture  before 
mentioned.  We  soon  discovered  the  object  of  this,  by  the  ar-* 
rival  of  the  other  chiefs,  who  seemed  to  drop  in^  one  after  the 
other,  as  their  names  were  called. 

When  all  were  seated,  the  pipe  was  handed  to  the  chief,  who 
began  as  is  usual  oi  solemn  occasions,  by  blowing  a  whiff  up- 
wards as  it  were  to  the  sky,  then  to  the  earth,  and  after  to  the 
•ast  and  west,  after  which  the  pipe  was  sent  round.  A  mark  of 
respect  in  handing  the  pipe  to  another,  is  to  hold  it  until  the 
person  has  taken  several  whiffs.  After  this  ceremony,  Mr. 
idsu  addressed  a  speech  to  the  chiefs,  in  which,  after  the  com- 
mon place  which  would  be  expected,  he  observed,  that  the  stran- 
gers in  company  with  him  were  going  a  long  journey  to  the 
great  Salt  lake  to  the  west,  and  ought  to  be  treated  well,  that 
any  injury  done  to  them,  he  should  consider  as  done  to  himself; 
that  in  this  respect  they  were  as  one  people.  A  Lumber  of 
speeches  were  as  usual  made  on  the  occasion.  The  chief  on  the 
proposal  of  trading,  required  time  to  give  an  answer— with  this 
the  council  concluded.  The  boats  were  ordered  over,  and  en- 
camped a  little  distance  below  the  village.  A  guard  of  Indian 
warriors  was  placed  to  keep  off  the  populace  and  prevent  pil- 


JOtTRNAL. 


S4r 


CHAFTEB  TI. 


Thursday  1 S/A.    This  morning,  Sound  ourselvet  completely 
drenched  by  heavy  i^ns,  which  cuntiaued  the  whole  night.  The 
chief  has  not  given  his  answer  as  to  the  conditions  of  the  trade. 
It  is  for  him,  usually  to  fix  the  price,  on  a  consultation  with  his 
subordinate  chiefs,  to  this,  the  whole  village  mtist  conform.—* 
The  Indian  women  and  girls,  were  occupied  all  this  morning, 
in  carrying  earth  in  baskets,  to  replace  that  whict.  the  .'tdns  ha4 
washed  off  their  lodges.    Rambled  through  the  village,  which  I 
found  excessively  filthy,  the  *  villainous  smells,'  which  every 
where  assailed  me,  compelled  me  at  lengthy  to  seek  refuge  ia 
the  open  plsun.  The  lovers  of  Indian  manners,  and  mode  of  liv- 
ing, should  contemplate  them  at  a  distance.  The  rains  had  ren- 
dered  their  village  little  better  than  a  hog  pen;  the  police  ap*, 
peared  to  me,  in  some  fiarticularty  extremely  negligent    Some 
of  the  ancient  cities  of  the  old  world,  were  probably  like  this 
village,  inauentive  to  that  cleanliness  so  necessary  to  heakh^ 
where  a  great  mass  of  beings  are  collected  in  one  place; 
and  we  need  not  be  surprised  at  the  frequency  of  desolaung 
plagues  and  pesiilence.    The  village  is  swarming  with  dogs 
and  children.    I  rank  these  togetlier,  for  they  are  inseparable 
companions.  Wherever  I  went,  the  cliildren  ran  away,  seream- 
ing,  and  frightened  at  my  outri  and  savage  appeantfice.    Let 
us  not  flatter  ourselves  with  the  belief;  that  the  effect  oC  our  ci» 
vilization  and  refinement,  is  to  render  us  agreeable  and  lovelf 
to  the  eyes  of  those  whom  we  exclusively  denominate  savages  I 
The  dogs,  of  which  every  family  has  thirty  or  forty,  pretended 
to  make  a  show  of  fierceness,  but  on  tlie  least  threat,  ran  off.— > 
They  are  of  different  sixes  and  colors.    A  number  are  fattened 
en  purpose  to  eat,  others  are  used  to  draw  their  baggage.-— 
It  is  nothing  more  than  the  domesticated  wolf.    In  wandering 
through  the  prairies,  I  have  often  mistaken  wolves  for  Indian 
dogs.    The  larger  kind  has  long  curly  huir,  and  resembles  tho 
shepherd  dog.  There  is  the  same  diversity  amongst  the  wolves 


m 


«M 


JOURNAL. 


of  this  country.    They  may  be  more  properly  said  to  howl  than 
bark. 

The  lodges  are  coDstnicted  in  the  following  manner:  Four 
large  forks  of  about  fifteen  feet  in  height,  are  placed  iu  tho 
ground,  usually  about  twenty  feet  from  each  other,  with  hewn 
logs,  or  beams  across ;  from  these  beams,  other  pieces  of  wood 
are  placed  slanting;  smaller  pieces  are  placed  above,  leaving  an 
aperture  at  the  top,  to  admit  the  light,  and  to  give  vent  to  the 
smoke.  These  upright  pieces  are  interwoven  with  osiers,  after 
vrhich,  the  whole  is  covered  with  earth,  though  not  sodded.  An 
opening  is  left  at  one  side,  for  a  door,  which  is  secured  by  a 
kind  of  projection  of  ten  or  twelve  feet,  enclosed  on  all  sides, 
fOid  forming  a  narrow  entrance,  which  might  be  easily  defended. 
A  buftaloe  robe  suspended  at  the  entrance,  answers  as  a  door. 
The  fire  is  made  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  directly  under  the 
iiperture  at  the  top.  Their  beds  elevated  a  ff^w  feet,  are  placed 
around  the  lodge,  and  enclosed  with  curtaine  of  dressed  elk  skins. 
At  the  upper  end  of  the  lodge,  there  is  a  kind  of  trophy  erect- 
ed; two  buffaloe  heads,  fantastically  painted,  are  placed  on  a  Ut- 
ile elevation ;  over  them  are  placed,  a  variety  of  consecrated 
things,  such  as  shields,  skins  of  a  rare  or  valuable  kind,  and 
quivers  of  arrows.  The  lodges  seem  placed  at  random,  without 
any  regularity  or  design,  and  are  so  much  alike,  that  it  was  for 
some  time  before  I  could  learn  to  return  to  the  same  one.  The 
village  is  surrounded  by  a  palisade  of  cedar  poles,  but  in  a  very 
bad  state.  Around  the  village,  there  are  little  plats  enclosed 
by  stakes,  intwined  with  osiers,  in  which  they  Cultivate  maize, 
tobacco,  and  beans ;  but  their  principal  field  is  at  the  distance  of 
a  tmle  from  the  village,  to  which,  such  of  the  females  whose 
duty  it  is  to  att?nd  to  their  culture,  go  and  return  morning  and 
evening.  Around  the  village  they  have  buffaloe  robes  stuck  up 
on  high  poles.  1  saw  one  so  arranged  as  to  bear  a  resemblance 
to  the  human  figure,  the  hip  bone  of  the  bufTaloe  represented 
the  head,  the  sockets  of  the  thigh  bones  looked  like  eyes. 

Friday  1  it/i.  It  rained  again  last  night,  which  prevented 
the  trade  from  commencing  until  Sometime  in  the  day.  Mr. 
Lisa  sent  a  quantity  of  goods  to  the  lodge  of  the  principal  chief 
lieforc  meni:oncd,  called  Ic  Gauch^e,  and  Hunt  to  the  one  who 


accompanied  him  to  itoeet  us,  te  Oroa^  the  princtpel  Wal*  chieC 
The  priee  of  a  horse  wus  commonly  ten  dollars  worth  of  goods 
first  coat.  Hunt  had  -rcaelted  to  purchase  'torses  at  this  place 
and  proceed  bjr  land  to  the  Columbut  bdng  asstlred  bf  somo 
huntefs)  irho  met  Mm  befbre  his  afrival  herej  thit  this  Would 
be  his  best  routes 

Mr.  BradbUrf  and  U  took  a  iTalk  Into  the  Upper  Villago^ 
which  is  aeparaied  from  the  lower  bf  a  stream  about  twen^ 
yards  ^fidOMi-Entered  seteral  lodges*  the  people  of  which  re' 
ceived  ua  with  kindness^  placed  mats  and  akihs  for  Us  to  sit  On^ 
and  aftet  smoking  the  pipe,  offefed  Us  aamething  tu  eat}  thit 
Consisted  of  fresh  buflTaloe  meat  Served  in  a  wooden  diah.-^ 
They  had  a  variety  of  earthen  vessels,  in  which  they  prepared 
their  food,  or  kept  Water.  After  the  meat,  they  of ered  us  hom« 
ony  made'  of  Com  dried  in  the  milk,  mixed  with  beans,  Which 
Was  prepared  With  bulfeiloe  marrow,  and  tasted  extremely  weUi 
also  poundied  and  made  ihto  gruel.  The  prairie  turnip,  is  a  root 
very  common  in  the  prairiesj  wkh  something  of  the  taste  dT  the 
turnip,  but  more  dry ;  this  they  eat  dried  atid  pounded,  made  iw ' 
to  grueh  Their  most  common  food  is  homuny  and  dried  buf- 
faloe  meat.  In  one  of  the  lodges  Which  we  visited^  we  found 
the  doctor,  who  Was  .preparing  seme  medicine  for  u  sick  lad.** 
He  was  cooling  with  a  spoon  a  decoction  of  seioe  roots,  which 
had  a  strong  taste  and  smell,  not  Unlike  jalapi  He  shO%ed  Us 
a  Variety  of  simples  Which  he  used.  The  mOst  of  iheM  wom 
conimon  plants  with  some  medicinal  properties,  but  rather 
harmless  than  otherwise.  The  boy  had  a  sUght  pleumqr<  Thfi- 
chlef  remedy  for  their  diseases,  whioh  they  conceive  to  be  ow- 
ing to  a.disorder  of  the  bowels,  is  rubbing  the  belly  and  sides  of 
the  pauent,  sohietimes  with  such  violence,  as  to  cause  fiiii)tingi»i 
When  they  become  dangerous,  they  resort  to  oiitfrms  and  incan" 
tations,  such  as  singing,  dancing,  blowing  on  the  sick,  kc.  They 
are  very  successful  in  the  treatment  of  wounds<  When  the 
woUnd  becomes  very  obstinate^  they  commonly  bum  it)  after 
which  it  heals  more  easily^ 

Satwday  \Sth.  fine  WeathCr^^Took  a  Walk  with  Mr.  Brad* 
bury  through  the  country^  which  is  entirely  open,  and  some- 
what hUly.    Large  masses  of  granite  Wefi  Usually  found  on  -th« 

llh 


r 


P 


-m 

1 

11 

1 

II 

2» 


Ji>ORN-AL. 


bighcst  knbUs.  Wc  daw  a  great  varicly  of  plants,  at  id  stTmc 
new  ones~*Onc  or  two  of  tlte  valiie«  are  beautitu!;  ar  d  a  few 
dwarf  plum  trees  scattered  a!on(;  a  rivulet. 

On  our  return  in  the  evening,  ati  alarm  prevailed  in  the  vil- 
]sig;e,  wliich  appeared  to  be  all  in  commotion.  We  were  infurm-. 
cd  tftat  \he  Sioux,  their  enemies,  were  near.  This  was  proba* 
bly  all  preconcerted.  I  Wa»  shewn,  at  the  distance  of  about  two 
miles,  four  horsemen  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  at  full  gallop,  passing 
and  re -passing  each  other ;  this  I  understand  in  the  signal  given 
by  the  scouts,  some  of  whom  are  constantly  on  the  alert,  of  the 
approach  of  an  enemy.  To  give  intelligence  of  the  appearance 
of  u  herd  of  bufl'aloe,  instead  of  crossing  each  other,  they  gallop 
backward  and  forward  abreast.  Presently  the  warriors  issued 
from '.  1)0  vifhge  with  great  noiss  and  tumult,  some  on  foot, 
others  on  liorse  back,  and  pursued  the  dir<^ction  in  which  the 
signals  were  made,  down  the  river,  and  past  an  encampment. 
They  observcdno  regular  i  arch,  but  ran  helter  skelter,  Uke  per- 
sons in  one  of  our  towns  to  extinguish  a  fire—and  keeping  spa 
continued  haUooing  to  encourage  e8':h  other.  Some  of  them 
were  dressed  in  their  moat  splendid  manner.  The  tops  of  the 
lodges  were  crowded  with  vomen  and  childreny  and>  with  the 
eld  men  ^vho  could  give  no  assistance,  t  ut  by  thtir  lungs,  which 
werie  ke{>t  biisily  eir.ployed :  yet  there  were  several  who  sallied 
forth,  akmost  half  Unt  with  the  w  eight  of  years.  I  counted  up- 
wards of  iive  hundred  in  <all'  They  soon  after  retur:::ied ;,  whether 
they  bac'  chased  away  the  tnemy,  or  the  alarm  had  turned  out 
false,  I  never  learned. 

Sunday  16/A.  In  the  course  of  the  day  several  parties  ar* 
rived  from  different  directions.  According  to  custom  they  were 
ract  by  Mrarriors  and  co.iducted  to  the  council  lodge,  where  they 
gave  un  account  of  what  had  occurred,  which  was  afterwards  an- 
nounced to  the  village  by  heralds.  These  contribute  to  enii- 
ven  the  villag«^  *  though  Independent,  they  continually  present 
a  busy  and  animated  scene.  Great  numbers  of  men  are  engag- 
ed in  the  difi'ereni  games  of  address  ttnd  agility^  others  judi^* 
ing,or  looking  on,  and  many  employed  in  a  variety  of  other 
\\  ays.  There  are  a  great  number  of  women  constantly  ct  work 
10  di'68Ping  buffoloe  robes)  which  arc»  placed  on  frames  before 


JOURNAL. 


S^l 


ihe  lodges.  One  of  the  partits  which  arrived  to  day,  CLine  from 
the  Snake  nation,  where  they  had  stolen  horses.  This  arrested 
their  employments  for  a  moment,  the  immediate  friends  and  re> 
Nations  of  such  as  returned,  spent  the  evening  in  rejoicing;,  whilp 
several  females  who  had  lost  a  relation,  retired  to  the  hUU  be* 
hind  the  village,  where  they  continued  to  cry  the  whole  after- 
noon. 

In  the  evening  they  usually  collect  on  the  tops  of  the  lodgeSy 
where  they  sit  atKl  converse :  every  now  and  then  the  attention 
of  all  was  attracted  by  some  old  men  who  rose  up  and  declainu 
ed  aloud,  so  as  to  be  heard  over  the  whole  village.  There  was 
something  in  this  like  a  quakcr  meeting.  Adair  labors  to  provQ 
the  Indian  tribes  to  be  descended  from  the  Jews,  I  niight  hero 
adduce  this  as  an  argument  in  favor  of  these  people  being  a  co* 
lony  of  quaken. 

Monday  \7th.  This  day  arrived  a  deputation  from  the  Chi- 
enne  nation,  to  announce  that  these  people  were  on  their  march 
to  this  village,  and  would  be  here  in  fifteen  days.  I  sometimes 
amused  myself  with  the  idea  of  forming  a  gazette  of  the  daily 
occurrences.  We  here  sep  an  independent  nation,  with  ^11  the 
interests  and  anxieties  of  the  largest:  how  little  would  its  l|isto« 
ry  differ  from  that,  of  one  of  the  Grecian  states !  A  war,  a  trea- 
ty, deputations  sentand  received,  warlike  excursions,  national 
mourning  or  rejoicing,  and  a  thousand  other  particularsi  which 
constitute  the  chronicle  of  the  most  celebrated  people. 

In  the  evening,  about  sundown,  the  women  cease  from  their 
labors,  and  collect  into  little  knots,  and  amuse  themselves  witli 
a  game  something  like  jack'Stones;  five  pebbles  are  tossed  up 
in  a  small  basket,  with  which  they  endeavor  tp  catch  them  agaia 
as  they  fall. 

Tuesday  1  Bth.  Confidence  had  been  somewhat  restored  be- 
tween the  leaders  of  the  two  parties  since  the  council  in  the  vil- 
lage. Mr.  Hunt  having  resolved  to  start  from  this  vHlage,  a 
bargain  was  made  with  Mr.  Lisa,  for  the  sale  of  Hunt's  boats  and 
some  merchandise  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  we  crossed  the 
river,  in  order  to  make  the  exchange,  after  which  we  returned 
and  eneamped.  We  are  to  set  off  to*morrow  morniog  to  the 
Mandan  village?^ 


969 


JQURNAU 


y 


Before  f  bid  adieu  to  Arikurai  I  must  note  tome  genera) 
matters  relating  to  iheir  character  and  manners. 

'the  men  are  large  and  well  proportioned,  complexion  some* 
¥rhat  (airer  than  Indians  commonljr  are.    Generally  go  nitkcdi 
the  drels  they  sometimes  put  ooi  seems  more  for  ornament  than 
any  advantage  it  is  to  them ;  this  consists  of  a  sort  of  cassoc  or 
shirt,  made  of  the  dressed  sUin  of  the  antelope,  and  ornaniented 
vrith  porcupine  quills,  died  a  variety  of  colors ;  a  pair  of  leggings, 
vrhich  are  ornamented  in  the  same  way.  A  bufluloe  hide  dressed 
with  thr  hair  on,  is  then  thrown  over  the  right  shoulder,  the 
quiver  being  hung  on  the  other,  if  he  be  armed  with  a  bow.*<r^ 
They  generally  permit  their  hair  to  grow  long;  I  have,  in  one 
6r  two  instances,  seen  it  reach  to  their  heeh  ;  they  sometimes 
Increase  it  by  artificial  means;  commonly  with  horse  hair.  It  is 
divided  into  a  number  of  locks,  matted  at  intervals,  with  a  braid 
of  white  earth,  a  substance  resembling  putty.    Sometimes  it  is 
rolled  up  in  a  ball,  and  fixed  on  the  top  of  the  head,    They  al- 
ways have  a  quantity  of  feathers  about  them ;  those  of  the  black 
eagle  are  most  esteemed.    They  have  a  kind  of  crown  made  of 
feathers,  such  as  we  see  represented  in  the  usual  paintings  of 
Indikus,  lirhich  is  very  beautiful.    Tlie  swan  is  in  most  estima* 
Hon  for  this  purpose.    Some  ornament  the  nccK  with  necklace 
Inade  of  the  claWs  of  the  white  bear.  To  their  heela  they  some- 
times falteh  foxes*  tails,  and  on  their  leggings  suspend  dcers* 
lioofs,  so  as  to  moke  ft  rattling  noise  as  they  walk.  On  seeing  ^ 
warrior  dressed  out  in  all  this  finery,  walking  with  his  wife,  who 
^as  cttmpat^tively  plain  in  her  dr^-ss  or  ornaments,  I  could  iK)t 
but  thitik  thltk  was  following  the  order  of  nature,  as  in  the  pea* 
cock,  the  stAg,  and  attnost  all  animals,  the  ipak  Is  lavishly  deep* 
jr&te4,  while  the  female  is  plain  and  unadorned  I  intend  tliis  as  a 
hint  to  aome  of  pur  petit  maitres.  Thu  dress  of  the  female  con* 
(lists  of  a  long  robe  made  of  the  dressed  v^kiiJSjOt  the  elk,  the  ante* 
lope,  or  the  agolfa,  and  ornamented  with  blue  beads,  and  strips 
ibf  ermine,  or  in  its  pla<:e,  of  some  white  skin,  The  robe  ia  girdi; 

*  A  #aWtdr  ii  seldom  seen  without  his  arms,  even  in  the  village.-^ 
ITis  bow,  speilr,  or  f^iln,  is  considered  part  of  his  dress,  and  to  appear  in 
IMbUeWlilioiit  Uieip^  is  ill  soine  Rieasure  disgraceful. 


JOURIfAL. 


3S3 


•d  round  the  widtt  it'uh  a  broad  aone,  highly  ornamented  whh 
porcupine  quiltst  and  beada.  They  are  no  better  off  than  were 
the  Greehi  and  Romanar  In  what  wo  deem  at  i^reacnt  ao  etaen- 
tiali  but  like  th^m*  they  batbo  themseWca  regoljerlyt  twieo  a  day. 
The  women  are  much  fairer  than  the  men ;  aome  might  be  con* 
•idered  handiomo  any  wher»<^thcy  are  much  more  nmn^ 
roua  than  the  Men,  the  eohaequence  of  the  ware  hi  which  tht 
nation  i«  oonateiitly  engaf  ed.  Polygatny  b  general*  they  haro 
often  four  or  five  wivea.  Their  counahip  and  marriage  reaem*- 
ble  that  of  moat  Indian  nations  t  if  the  partiea  are  mutually 
agreeaMe  to  each  othor^  there  is  a  consultation  of  the  family^  if 
thia  be  also  favorable,  the  father  of  the  girl,  or  whoever  give* 
her  in  marriage,mak0a  a  retorn  Car  the  present  he  had  pr«vio4M» 
ly  received  from  the  lover-«.tbe  match  is  then  coiickiit<;d. 

They  display  considerable  ingenuity  of  taate  in  their  workf 
of  art:  thia  observation  applies  to  all  the  American. nations,  froA 
the  Mtxioans  to  the  most  savage.  Their  arm**  houaehold  iiten- 
sils,  and  their  dreasea,  are  admirably  made.  I  saw  a  gun  whi^ 
hud  been  completely  stocked  by  an  Indian.  A  curloua  instancy 
of  native  ingenuity  which  came  under  my  notice,  ought  not  to  bo 
omitted.  I  was  told  one  day,  of  an  old  Indian  who  waa  making 
a  bjanket ;  1  immediat^y  went  to  see  him.  To  my  surprise,  J 
found  an  old  man,  perfectly  blind,  aeated  on  a  stool  before  a  kind 
of  frame,  over  which  were  drawn  coarse  threads,  or  ratltcr 
twists  of  bufialoe  wool,  mixed  with  wolf's  hair;  he  had  already 
made  about  a  quarter  of  a  yard  of  a  very  coarae  rough  cloth.-^ 
He  told  me  that  it  waa  the  first  he  had  attempted,  at^  thai  it  wa» 
in  conaequence  of  a  dream,  in  winch  he  thought  h«  bad  made  f 
blanket  like  those  of  the  white  people.  Here  are  the  rudimeoti 
of  weaving.  They  make  beautiful  jugs  or  baak^  vnth  ovoft 
80  close  aa  to  hold  water. 

I  observed  some  very  old  men  amongst  them-«^e  country 
is  ao  extremely  healthy,  that  they  arrive  to  a  Very  great  age.— * 
About  twenty  years  ago>  the  small  pox  desCn^ed  a  great  sum* 
ber  of  them.  One  day,  in  panung  through  the  village,  I  satr 
something  brought  out  of  a  lodge  in  a  buffaloo  robe,  and  e<(Joa» 
ed  to  the  sun ;  on  approaching,  I  discovered  it  to  bo  a  hvmaii 
bemg,  but  so  shrivelled  up,  that  it  had  ntoariy  loat  the  hilman 


/* 


*f 


\t 


3S4 


JOUIINAL. 


/O 


/' 


phjrsiognomy:  almoit  the  only  sign  of  life  di«cemible,  was  a 
continual  tucking  its  hands.  On  inquiring  of  the  chief,  he  told 
mC)  that  he  had  seen  it  so  ever  since  he  was  a  bojr.  He  appear- 
ed to  be  at  least  fort)r>five.  It  is  almost  Impossible  to  ascertain 
the  age  of  an  Indian  when  he  is  above  sixty;  I  made  inquiries 
of  several,  who  appeared  to  me  little  short  of  an  hundred, 
but  could  form  no  satisfactory  conjecture-  Blindness  is  very 
common,  arising  probably  from  the  glare  of  the  snow,  during 
«  great  part  of  the  year.  I  observed  the  goitre,  or  swelled  neck, 
in  a  few  instances. 

Their  government  is  oligarchical,  but  great  respect  is  paid 
<o  popular  opinion-,  It  is  utterly  impossible  to  ,be  a  great  man 
smongst  them,  without  being  a  distinguished  warrior,  though 
respect  is  paid  to  birth,  but  this  must  be  accompanied  by  other 
jnerit,  to  procure  much  influence.  They  are  divided  into  dif- 
ferent bands  or  classes;  that  of  the  pheasant,  which  is  compos- 
ed of  the  oldest  men ;  that  of  the  bear,  the  buffaloe,  the  elk,  the 
dog,  8cc.  Each  of  these  has  its  leader,  who  generally  takes  tha 
name  of  the  class,  exclusively  Initiation  into  these  classes,  on 
arriving  to  the  proper  age,  and  after  having  given  proofs  of  be- 
ing worthy  of  it,  is  attended  with  great  ceremony.  The  band  of 
dogs,  is  considered  the  most  brave  and  effective  in  war,  being 
composed  of  «">ung  men  under  thirty.  War  parties  are  usually 
proposed  by  some  individual  warrior,  and  according  to  the  con- 
fidence placed  in  him,  his  followers  are  numerous  or  otherwise. 
In  these  excursions  they  wander  to  a  great  distance,  seldom 
venturing  to  return  home  without  a  scalp,  or  stolen  horses. — 
Frequently  when  unsuccessful,  they  **  cast  their  robes,"  as  they 
er^^resk  !t,  and  vow  to  kill  the  first  person  they  meet,  provided 
he  be  not  oT  their  own  nir,tion.  In  crossing  the  river,  they  use 
canoes  mado  of  the  bnffiloe  hide,  or  a  few  piecius  of  wood  fasp 
tened  together.  They  v;s*ially  have  some  token,  as  a  stake, 
wh  ich  is  marked  so  as  to  convty  some  idea  of  their  numbers, 
the  direction  which  they  have  taken,  fcc.  To  avoid  surprise, 
they  alwayu  encamp  at  the  edv;«  uf  a  wood ;  and  when  the  pariy 
is  small,  they  construct  a  kind  of  fortress,  with  wonderful  expe- 
dition, of  billets  of  wo(h),  apparently  piled  up  in  a  careless  man- 
ner^  but  so  arranged  as  to  be  very  strongs  and  are  able  to  with- 


**'»?TIi 


OUENAL: 


W 


ttUnd  an  assault  from  a  much  superior  force.    Thejr  are  excel- 
Icnt'horsemeiv— ihey  will  shoot  an  arrow  at  full  speed,  and  again 
pick  it  up  from  the  ground  without  stopping:  sometimes  ti>?]r 
will  lean  entirely  upon  one  leg,  throwing  their  bodies  to  that  side^ 
BO  us  to  present  nothing  but  the  leg  and  thigh,  on  the  other.-— 
In  pursuit  of  the  buffaloe,  tliey  will  guUop  down  steep  hills, 
broken  almost  into  precipices.    Some  of  tlieir  horses  are  vcrjr 
fine,  and  run  swiftly,  but  are  soon  worn  out,  from  the  difficulty 
of  procuring  food  for  them  in  winter,  the  smaller  branches  of 
the  cotton  wood  tree  being  almost  the  only  fodder  which  thsy 
give  them.     Their  hunting  is  regulated  by  the  warriors  chosen 
for  the  occasion,  who  urge  on  such  as  are  tardy,  and  repress  of* 
ten  with  blows,  those  who  would  rush  on  too  soon.     When  a 
herd  oi  bufiuloc  is  discovered,  they  approach  in  proper  orderi 
wUhin  a  half  u  mile,  they  then  separate  and  dispose  themselves* 
80  as,  in  some  measure,  to  surround  them,  when  at  the  word« 
they  rubh  upon  them  at  full  speed,  and  continue  as  long  as  their 
horses  can  stand  it:  a  hunter  usually  shoots  two  arrows  into  a 
buflaioe,  and  then  goes  in  pursuit  of  another;  if  he  kills  more 
than  two  in  the  hunt,  he  is  considered  ps  having  acquitted  him- 
self well.    The  tongue  is  the  pnxe  of  the  person  who  has  slain 
the  animal  (  and  he  that  has  the  greater  number,  is  considered 
the  best  hunter  of  the  day.  Their  weapons  consist  of  guns,  war 
clubs,  spears,  bows,  and  lances.  They  have  two  kinds  of  arrows^ 
one  for  titc  purpose  of  the  chase,  and  the  other  for  war ;  the  lat* 
ter  differs  in  this  particular,  that  the  barb  or  point  is  fastened  so 
slightly,  thut  when  it  enters  the  body,  it  remains  in, and  cannot  be 
drawn  out  with  the  wood ;  therefore,  when  it  is  not  in  a  vital  part» 
ihe  arrow  is  pushed  entirely  tlirough.  They  do  not  pitison  them. 
Their  bows  are  generally  very  small;  an  elk's  horn,  or  two  ribs 
of  a  buffuloe,  often  constitute  the  materials  of  which  they  are 
made.    Those  of  wood  are  of  willow,  the  buck  covered  with  si- 
news. Their  daily  sports,  in  which,  when  the  weather  ia  favor- 
able, they  are  engaged  from  morning  till  ni^ht,  are  principally 
of  two  kinds.  A  level  piece  of  ground  appropriated  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  beaten  by  frequent  use,  is  the  place  where  they  are 
carried  on.  The  first  is  pluyed  by  two  persons,  cuch  armed  with 
a  long  polo ;  one  of  them  rolls  a  hoop)  wbigh^  after  havuig  r«aeh>'. 


/  t 


il 


:1 


3S6 


JOURlTAf*. 


/> 


ed  about  two-thirds  <^  the'  distance,  is  followed  at  half  speed; 
and  as  they  perceive  it  about  to  &H}  they  cast  their  pc^es  under 
h;  the  pole  on  which  the  hoop  feHs,  so  as  to  be  nearest  to  cer- 
tain cofvespondiiHg  marks  on  the  boop  and  pole*  gaiiis  for  that 
time.  This  game  excites  great  interesti  and  produces  a  gentlej 
but  tfiimated  exercise*  The  other  diffiors  from  it  in  thiS)  that 
ifitttfad  of  poles,  they  have  short  pieces  of  wood^  with  barbs  at 
one  end)  and  a  cross  piece  at  the  other,  held  in  the  middle  with 
One  hand{  but  instead  of  the  hoop  before  mentioned,  they  throw 
a  Small  ring,  and  endeavor  to  put  the  point  of  the  barb  through 
k.  This  is  a  much  more  violent  exercise  than  the  other. 
-  With  respect  to  their  reliirion,  it  is  extremely  diff  cult,  parti< 
eularly  from  the  slight  acquaintance  I  had  with  them,  to  form  any 
just  idea.  They  have  some  notion  of  a  Supreme  Being,  whom 
they  call  "  the  Muster  of  Life,"  but  they  offer  him  no  rational 
worship,  and  have  but  indistinct  ideas  of  a  future  state.  Their 
devotion  mantfests  itself  in  a  thousand  curious  tiicks,  of  slight  of 
hand,  which  they  caH  magic,  and  which  the  vulgar  amongst  them 
believeto be  something  supernatu ral.  They  are  very  superstitious. 
Btsides  their  public  resident  lodge,  in  which  they  have  a  great 
edllection  of  magic,  or  sacred  things,  every  one  has  his  private 
magic  in  his  lodge  about  his  person.  Any  thing  curious,  is  im' 
mediately  made  an  amulet,  or  a  talisman  i  and  is  considered  as 
devoted  or  consecrated,  so  «s  to  deprive  them  of  the  power  of 
disposing  of  it.  The  principal  war  chief  lately  took  advantage 
df  this,  ingeniously  enough.  He  obtained  a  very  fine  horse^ 
which  he  was  desiroub  of  keeping,  but  fearing  that  some  one 
might  ask  him  as  a  gift,  and  to  refuse  would  be  considered 
as  evincing  a  narrowness  of  mind  unbecoming  a  great  man, 
who  ought  not  to  set  his  heart  upon  a  matter  of  so  little  im- 
portance, he  announced  that  he  had  given  him  to  his  magie.-« 
Some  pftrts  of  their  religious  exercises  are  the  most  barbarous 
that  can  be  imagined.  I  observed  a  great  number  whose  bodies 
were-scarrtfd  and  cut  m  the  most  shocking  manner }  I  was  inform- 
ed that  this  was  done  in  the*r  devotion ;  that  to  shew  their  lealy 
they  sotnetimes  suspend  themselves  by  the  arms  cr  legs,  or  the 
aides,  hy  hooks.  I  was  shewn  a  boy,  who  had  drawn  two  buffa- 
4t>e  heacU  by  cords  drawn  tfhrottgh  the  fleshy  part  of  his  sides, 


JOURiiAt. 


s^ 


liearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  I  might  enumerate  a  variety  of  other 
{lariiculars,  in  which  this  strange  self  punishment  is  curried  to 
the  greatest  lengths.  Thejr  have  frequent  holy  days,  when  the 
greater  part  of  the  village  appears  to  desist  from  labor,  and  dress 
out  unusually  fine.  On  these  occasions^  each  one  suspends  his 
private  magic  on  a  high  pole  before  his  door;  the  painted  shields^ 
quivers  of  a  variety  of  colors,  scarlet  cloth,  and  highly  ornament- 
ed buffaloe  robes,  which  compose  those  trophies,  produce  a  ve- 
ry lively  effect.  I  several  times  observed  articles  of  some  va- 
lue, suspended  in  the  woods.  I  was  told  they  oflen  leave  their' 
property  in  this  manner,  without  being  under  any  apprehension 
that  any  of  the  same  ti'ibe  will  touch  it,  provided  that  there  bd^ 
the  least  sign  to  shew  that  it  is  not  Idst.  A  kind  of  superstition 
Similar  td  that  of  the  Druids,  which  protected  their  oflbringil 
hung  up  in  the  woods. 

ISince  the  a^air  of  lieut.  Prioi*,  vrhb  dommanded  th<e  party 
despatched  by  the  United  States,  to  take  home  the  Mandan  chief, 
these  people  haVe  been  friendly  lO  the  whites.  They  speak  of 
the  bccurrence  with  regret,  and  declare  that  it  was  doiie  by  bad 
people  whom  they  cduM  not  restrain; 

To  give  an  account  of  the  vices  of  thesfe  people  ivould  be  to 
enumerate  some  of  the  mbre  gross,  prevalent  amongst  us.— ^ 
The  savage  state,  like  the  rude  uncultivated  waste,  is  contem- 
plated to  most  advantage  at  a  distance.  They  have  their  rich 
and  their  poor,  their  envious,  their  proud,  overbearing,  thdir 
mean  and  grovelling,  and  the  reverse  of  these.  In  some  respects 
they  appear  extl^mely  dissolute  and  Corrupt— n^hether  the  re- 
£  1^  of  refinement.  Or  vice,  or  the  simplicity  of  nature,  I  am  not 
aole  to  say.  It  is  part  of  their  hospitality,  to  offer  the  guest, 
their  wife,  sister,  or  maid  ilTervant,  according  to  the  estimation 
in  which  the  guest  is  held,  and  to  refuse,  is  considered  as  treat" 
ing  the  host  with  contempt.  It  appeared  to  me  while  we  re- 
mained at  the  village,  that  their  females  had  become  mere  ar- 
ticles of  truffle:  I  have  seen  fathers  bring  their  daughters,  bro- 
thers their  sisters,  and  husbands  their  wives,  to  be  disposed  of 
for  a  short  time,  to  the  highest  bidder.  I  was  unable  to  account 
for  this  strange  difference  from  all  other  people  I  had  ever  rcuci 
of,  unless  frtm  the  inordinate  passion  which  seized  them  for 

li 


HI,     , 


ilHUil 


LgOHtt 

^^^H 

■: 

^^^1 

' 

■  ,■ 

^^^B 

* 

I^^B 

^H 

-  'i 

I^^I^H 

v! 

HIWW 

^.,jt 

JOUllNAL. 


our  inerchaDdkc.  Chastity  appeared  to  be  unknown  as  a  virtue. 
Yet  this  may  not  huve  been  universal;  a  more  minute  acqutun* 
tance  with  these  people,  might  have  enabled  me  to  explain  this 
stiiuige  phenomenon.  From  the  remnant  of  a  singular  custom 
which  prevails  amongst  ihcni,  one  might  suppose  that  this  had 
not  always  been  the  case.  On  a  certiin  occasion,  a  great  num- 
ber of  young  girls  were  collected  before  the  medicine  lodge  or 
temple,  prizes  were  exhibited,  and  a  cedar  bough  was  stuck  on 
the  lodge ;  the  old  men  who  reside  in  the  temple,  proclaimed, 
that  whoever  was  yet  a  virgin,  should  come  forward  and  touch 
the  bough,  and  take  the  prize ;  that  it  was  in  vain  to  think  of  de- 
ceiving, the  manitou  would  reveal  every  thing ;  the  young  men 
were  moreover  required  to  declare  against  any  one  who  should 
attempt  it,  all  they  kv.cyr.  A  young  mctifT,  daughter  of  the  in- 
terpreter, a  beautiful  girl  of  sixteen,  came  forward,  but  before 
she  could  ascend  to  touch  the  bough,  a  young  fellow  stepped 
out  and  bade  her  remember  a  certain  place  I  She  withdrew,  con- 
fused and  abashed.  There  was  a  pause  for  a  considerable  time ; 
I  began  to  tremble  for  the  maidens  of  Arikara,  when  a  girl 
of  seventeen,  ore  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  village^  walked 
forward  and  asked,  *<  where  is  the  Arikaru  who  can  boast  of 
having  received  &vorafrom  me  ?"  then  touched  the  bough,  and 
curried  off  the  prize.  I  feel  a  pleasure  in  adding,,  for  the  honov 
of  the  ladies  of  Arikara,  that  others  Toliowed,  though  i  did  not 
take  the  trouble  of  noting  the  number. 
»  Seeing  the  chief  one  day  in  u  tlioughtful  mood,  I  asked  him 
what  was  the  matter—- ^^  I  wus  wondering"  said  he  "  whether 
you  white  people  have  any  women  amongst  you."  I  assured 
him  in  the  affirmative.  "  Then"  said  he,  ♦»  why  is  it  that  your 
people  are  so  fond  of  our  women,  one  might  suppose  they  had 
never  sc»cD any  before!" 


■      I;     l^T;^;' 


j;(QCR"WAI..  ?^9 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Wednesday  \9th.  It  was  resolved  this  morning  by  Mr.  Li- 
sa, to  leave  ons  of  his  men  to  continue  the  trade  with  the  Ari< 
karks,  and  continue  his  voyage.  As  part  of  the  price  of  the 
goods  bought  from  Mr.  Hunt,  was  to  be  paid  in  horses,  a  party 
wus  sent  by  land  to  the  Mandan  fort,  fur  the  purpose  of  bringing 
them.  Mr.  Bradbury  being  desirous  of  seeing  the  interior  of 
the  country,  accompanied  them. 

Set  off  from  the  village  about  eleven  o'clock,  the  wind  fu- 
voruble,  but  the  weather  rainy  and  disagreeable.  Having  made 
about  fifteen  miles,  we  encamped.  The  musketoes  arc  more 
troublesome  than  I  have  known  them.  I  am  informed  that  this 
is  not  the  case  every  year. 

Thursday  20th.  Weather  more  pleasant,  but  the  wind  for 
a  part  of  the  afternoon  contrary.  The  river  is  rising  rapidly, 
it  is  at  present  at  a  very  high  stage.  Having  made  five  points, 
encamped. 

Friday  2\»t.  Set  off  under  sail,  with  a  fine  breeze,  which 
continued  the  whole  day.  Made  upwards  of  forty  miles.  The 
country  improves—handsome  green  hills,  and  fine  bottoms. 

Saturday  22d.  A  continuance  of  favorable  wind,  but  the  riv- 
er crooked.  At  ten,  landed  to  kill  some  buffaloe — they  are  nu- 
merous  on  the  sides  of  the  hills. 

Sunday  23d  Bad  weather— contrary  wind,  and  violent 
storms.  In  the  evening  It  cleared  up:  the  wind  continuing  so 
as  to  prevent  us  from  proceeding,  we  landed  and  went  in  pur- 
suit of  some  bufFaloe,  The  whole  surface  of  the  country  appear- 
ed covered  with  them>  I  continued  the  chase  four  or  five  miles 
from  ihe  river,  in  the  middle  of  a  very  romantic  country. 

Monday  24f  A.  Proceeded  this  morning  with  deUghiful  wea- 
ther, the  sky  clear,  and  of  a  most  enchanting  blue.  Continued 
the  greater  part  of  the  day,  with  the  coidcUc,  along  the  prairie. 
The  country  on  either  side,  of  a  very  pleasant  appearance,  an4 
a  number  of  wooded  points. 


P 


i\ 


$» 


JOURNAL. 


Tuesday  2Sth.  Sailed  this  mcrning  with  a  slight  brccze.a~ 
At  tep,  passed  an  old  Maudan  village ;  and  at  some  distance 
above,  saw  4  great  number  of  Mandan  Indians  on  their  nmrch 
along  the  Prairie.  They  sometimes  go  on  hunting  parties  by 
yrhoje  villages,  which  is  the  case  u*  preicnt;  they  arc  about  five 
ftundred  in  number,  some  pn  horseback,  some  on  foot,  their,  tents 
pnd  bag'g-'.ge  c'  awn  by  dqgs.  On  these  great  hunting  parties, 
the  women  arc  emploved  in  presevving  the  hide  j,  drying  the 
Xneat,  and  iriakipg  a  prpvicion  tp  keep.  Very  little  pf  the  bufia- 
loe  is  lost,  for  after  taking  the  marrc«y,  they  pound  the  bones, 
^7  l?oil  them,  and  preserve  thp  oil>    T^i^  evening  the  Manoun 

chief,  Shc-he-ke,  who  was  in  the  United  States,  came  tp  us  with 
his  wife.  Hearing  pf  pur  approach,  he  had  set  off  for  the  pur- 
pose. Encamped  on  a  prairie  of  a  very  rich  soil.  The  coun- 
try is  very  tine  on  both  sides  of  the  riyer.  There  are  some  higli 
hills. 

Wednesday  26th.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  passed  by  the 
Mandan  villages,  with  a  favorable  wind,  and  arrived  late  at  night, 
at  the  fort  of  the  company,  1640  miles  from  the  mouth  ot  the 
Missouri. 

We  remained  here  until  the  sixth  of  July.  Mr.  Bradbury 
had  already  arrived.  He  describes  the  country  at  the  distance 
of  eight  or  ten  miles  from  the  river,  as  very  handsome ;  a  conti- 
nued succession  of  meadows,  with  some  wood  along  the  water 
courses:  pn  approaching  the  river,  it  becomes  mofe  broken  ahd 

hilly. 

We  made  several  excursions  to  the  villages  below,  and  to 
the  inte.ioi"  of  the  country,  but  as  thiy  afford  but  little  new,  I 
shall  not  give  any  detail  of  tliem.  In  the  ni  ijjjhborhpod  of  tlie 
fort  there  are  a  number  of  clay  hills,  washed  into  the  most  curi- 
ous shapes,  by  the  frequent  rains,  generally  of  a  whitish  color, 
though  intermixed  with  strata  of  various  hues.  Some  pf  them 
resemble  clouds, being  circular, and  detached:  at  the  first  glance 
they  look  like  buildings.  On  some  of  them  there  is  a  beautiful 
creeping  vine,  or  evergreen,  >vhich  Mr.  Bradbury  informs  me, 
is  described  by  Michaux,  as  growing  on  the  lakes.  There  are 
j-great  quj^intjjics  of  jpetri^ed  wood  scattered  about :  I  traced  ^. 


JOUiiNALi- 


8M 


whole  tree  4  the  stump  was  more  than  three  ieet  hight  and  at 
)ca3t  four  in  diameter.  This  is  a  very  extraordinary  £ac|(  ii\A 
country  where  the  trees  are  every  where  small. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  we  had  something  like  a  celebration 
of  the  day ;  the  two  prmcipal  chiefs  happened  to  be  with  us.-i* 
The  borgne  is  one  of  the  mo^t  extraordinary  men  I  ever  knew* 
The  description  of  Abelino  nr'^nt  give  some  idea  of  this  ma^y 
]EIv^  sways  with  unlimited  control,  all  these  villages,  and  is  some; 
times  a  cruel  and  abominable  tyrant  In  stature  he  is  u  giant) 
and  his  one  eye  seems  lo  ftash  with  fire.  I  saw  him  on  one  or 
two  occasions,  troat  She-he-ke  with  great  contempt — Mr.  Lisa 
citing  something  which  Slie  he-ke  expressed,  "  what"  says  the 
other, "  docs  that  bag  of  lies  pretend  to  have  any  authority  hcre,'^ 
She-he-ke  isafut  man,  not  much  distinguished  as  a  warrior,  and 
extremely  tulkatwe,  a  fault  much  despised  amongst  the  Indians. 

On  a  visit  to  the  vilUtge-  I  saw  a  great  number  of  small  scaf- 
^Ids  scattered  over  the  prairie,  on  which  human  bodies  were 
exposed.  The  scaffolds  are  supported  with  four  forks,  and  suf- 
ficiently large  to  receive  one  or  two  bodies.  They  are  covered 
with  blankets,  cloth  of  diiFcrent  colors,  and  a  variety  of  offerings. 
In  this  thty  are  different  from  the  Arikaras,  who  bury  their  dead 
jas  we  -do. 

Ou  the  sixth  of  July,  we  set  off  from  the  fort,  to  return  to 
the  Arikara  village,  where  we  arrived  two  days  after,  without 
any  r«;markable  occuirencc.  On  our  arrival,  we  found  Mr.  Hunt 
wailing  the  arrival  of  the  Chiennes,  to  complete  lus  supply  of 
horses.  We  continued  here  about  ten  days,  Mr.  Manuel  Lisa 
having  concluded  to  send  two  of  his  boats,  with  peltries,  Mr. 
Bradbury  who  was  deciiious  of  returning,  gladly  embraced  the 
opportunity.  The  boats  were  accordingly  put  under  my  com- 
inand,  with  six  men  in  each. 

Two  mornings  before  our  departure,  a  great  commotion  was 
heard  in  the  village,  before  daylight.  We  rose  to  discover  tlic 
cause,  and  found  that  the  war  party,  of  about  three  hundred 
men.  werp  within  a  short  distance  of  the  village,  on  their  return, 
after  a  battle  with  the  Sioux  the  evening  before,  in  which  two  oj) 
three  were  killed,  and  as  many  wounded.     All  the  relations  of 


^ 


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IM 


\:n 


.»*■ 


*1il 


262 


JOURNAL, 


/> 


those  engaged,  came  out  of  the  village  to  meet  them.*  I  accom- 
panied them  about  a  mile  and  an  half.  They  advanced  in  a  kind 
of  proces.4ion,  which  moved  slowly,  with  some  regularity ;  each 
band  separate,  and  sung  its  song.  Some  carried  the  scalps  on 
poles,  others  the  sacred  standards,  which  consisted  of  a  large 
bow  and  a  spear,  both  beautifully  ornamented.  The  scene  which 
took  place,  would  be  worthy  the  pen  of  a  Fcnelon ;  the  meeting 
of  those  connected  by  the  most  tender  relations,  was  truly  afiect- 
ing  The  whole  vould  baf  'e  d  ascription ;  I  was  touched  with 
the  tenderness  of  ?c  i,  who  ran  to  meet  her  son,  a  youth 
badly  wounded,  bui  Mhv;  ;>  red  himself  to  keep  on  his  horse, 
and  from  his  counten.  .  ouv;  -"ould  have  supposed  nothing 
had  been  the  matter.  The  you>ij  man  died  almost  as  soon  as 
he  arrived  at  the  temple,  for  it  is  the  ustom  to  carry  those  who 
have  been  wounded  on  these  occasions  to^this  place,  to  be  taken 
aire  of  at  the  public  expense.  As  they  approached  the  village, 
the  okl  men  who  could  hardly  walk,  whose  voices  were  ex- 
tremely shrill,  came  out  singing  their  songs  also,  and  rubbing 
the  warriors  with  their  hands.  The  following  day  was  spent  in 
festivity  by  the  village  in  general,  and  in  grief  by  those  who  had 
lost  their  relations. 

Towards  the  last  of  July,  with  glad  hearts,  we  set  bif,  to  re- 
turn once  more  to  civilized  life,  after  more  than  four  months  ab- 
sence from  it.  My  orders  were  to  go  day  and  night  if  possible, 
and  not  to  stop  for  any  Indians.  The  water  was  extremely  high, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  six  oars,  we  were  able  to  make  little 
short  of  twelve  miles  an  hour.  The  first  day  we  passed  the 
Chienne  river,  and  went  some  time  after  night,  but  considering 
this  something  dangerous,  I  landed  and  contintied  until  daylight. 
The  next  morning  we  reached  the  Great  Bend,  a  vast  number 
of  bu£faloe  were  to  be  seen  on  all  sides,  and  the  most  tremend- 
ous bellowing  from  the  bulls,  as  this  was  about  the  time  of 
their  mixing  with  the  herds  of  cows,  for  they  generally  stay 
in  separate  herds.  The  country  this  far  is  beautiful,  the 
points  sufficiently  wooded,  and  the  bottoms  fine.  The  wind 
becoming  high,  we  were  compelled  to  lie  by  the  whole  of 
the  afternoon,  in  the  Great  Bend.  On  the  north  west  side, 
it  is  bounded  the  whole  of  the  way  by  bluffs,  nearly  bare, 


JOUftNAL. 


m 


alTording  but  a  scanty  vegetation  of  sand  cherries,  gooseberries, 
and  dwarf  plum  trees.  The  next  day  we  parsed  Wliite  riTcri 
where  the  black  bluffs  begin — a  barren  and  miserable  country 
nearly  an  hundred  miles ;  there  are  scarcely  any  bottoms,  and 
the  bluffs  hi  most  places  without  even  grass.  In  some  places 
the  hills  rise  to  the  height  of  mountains ;— it  frequently  afford* 
ed  me  amusement  to  see  the  herds  of  buffuloe  ascending  these 
hills  by  a  winding  path.  In  the  evening  we  were  compelled  to 
land  in  a  little  recess  of  the  bluffs,  there  being  appearances  of  an 
approaching  storm :  we  were  not  disappointed.  The  continued 
and  vivid  flashes  of  lightening,  and  peals  of  thunder,  shaking 
the  solid  earth,  were  succeeded  by  a  tremendous  storm.  The 
winds  blew  with  such  violence,  as  to  threaten  our  boats ;  for  an 
hour,  we  were  obliged  to  protect  the  sides  with  wet  blanket^, 
to  prevent  them  from  filling,  while  it  rained  on  us  incessantly 
the  whole  night.  The  next  day  we  passed  the  Poncas  village. 
The  Indians  were  absent  in  the  plains.  -The  islands  are  gene* 
rally  fine  thus  far,  and  excepting  the  tract  between  the  White 
river,  and  the  Qui  Courre,  there  are  many  delightful  spots, 
though  the  bottoms  are  mostly  prairie,  and  the  upland  with  lit- 
tle or  no  wood. 

In  the  evening,  near  a  point  above  isle  ^  Bon  Homme,  our 
attention  was  awakened  by  a  tremendous  noise.  On  landing^ 
we  discovered  the  woods  literally  swarming  with  buffaloe,  a 
herd  of  m^les  had  come  amongst  a  number  of  females.  The 
noise  which  they  made  is  truly  undescribable.  On  the  hills  in 
every  direction,  they  appeared  by  thousands.  Late  in  the  even- 
ing we  saw  an  immense  herd  running  along  the  sides  of  the 
hills  in  full  speed ;  their  appearance  had  something  in  it,  which, 
without  incurring  ridicule,  I  might  call  sublime— their  foot- 
steps resembled  the  roaring  of  distant  thunder. 

The  next  day  we  passed  the  Maha  village,  and  had  a  most 
extraordinary  run  of  forty-five  leagues,  from  sun  to  sun.  From 
the  Qui  Courre,  to  the  Mahas,  the  bottoms  are  wider  and  bet- 
ter wooded  than  above,  but  the  upland  much  the  same.  We 
found  them  almost  every  where  overflowed ;  we  were  obliged 
to  encamp  on  some  driftwood-^the  musketues  tormenting  t;is 
the  whole  uight. 


.jtH;)! 


s]M 


jdVRNAL. 


The  followinjif  day  we  passed  the  Blackbird  hill,  and  the  riv- 
er Plutte.  The  navigation  in  this  pan  is  much  more  dungerous 
than  above,  from  the  number  of  trees  fixed  in  the  bottom.  The 
bottoms  are  much  wider  thnn  above,  and  better  wooded ;  in 
some  placfis  fo^  twenty  miles  and  upwards,  we  were  out  of  sight 
6f  the  htgh  lands :  but  the  low  grounds  were  every  where  over- 
flowed. The  water  rt'shed  into  the  woods  with  great  velocity, 
tod  in  bends  it  poured  over  the  gorge  into  the  river  again ;  a 
i^heet  of  water  sometttnes  for  a  mile,  flowed  over  the  bank. 

In  something  better  than  two  days  afterwards,  we  arrived  at 
Fort  Clark,  having  come  a  thousand  miles  in  eight  or  nine  days, 
without  meeting  a  living  soul.  Here  we  were  treated  politely 
hf  th£  officers.  Mr.  Sibiy,  th&factbr,  had  returned  but  a  few 
days  before,  from  a  journey  to  the  interior,  and  shewed  us  spe- 
Mmens  of  salt,  which  he  had  procured  at  the  salines,  on  the 

Arkansas. 

.^')n-'VV^e  arrived  at  St.  Louia  early  in  August,  having  made  four- 
teen hundred  and  forty  milea  in  Uttle  better  than  fourteen  days* 


•  ,f 


.  i..  -istJmi'n 


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lOMtfrjUU 


■      _  •      .  •.    J 

Oir  biiTAkeil  frftoH  tits  lioV'i'it  «r  t*«  kisii^iK^  vM'Tlli'^ 

kA«t>A»   VXlU.AOM-^klVBKS«-XtATtTDt>Bi,&e. 


filaeetk 

Mtivert.  Mii^ri 

anet 

Bit 

iMHSu 

St.  Charles        i       i 

• 

it 

if.  B, 

it 

* 

38*  5^ 

Osag^e  R.  (iiittte)  » 
Charlei*  creek           i 

i 

30  yds. 
SO 

tf   Bi 

5.  IK. 

Hi 

Shepherd's  creek  . 

# 

8.  W. 

15 

#■•' 

,.^'..     • 

Gasconade  R.    .        i 

15/ 

i,iit. 

17 

100  3ft»  Ag^ 

Muddy  R.     .        * 

50 

M.  B. 

15 

0 

<»    »    * 

Great  Osage     .        ; 

397 

S.ir 

18 

133 

38**  31* 

Marrow  creek       * ' 

itb 

s,  nr. 

S 

« 

ir 

Cedar  creek  fc  island 

t6 

tt.  M. 

r 

^ 

#     - 

Lead  Mine  hill       ; 

§ 

s.  w. 

9 

^ 

H      ■'' 

Hamilton's  creek      i 

30 

s.w. 

8 

/> 

Split  Rock  creek  . 

SO 

lf»  B. 

8 

170 

Of 

Saline  or  Salt  R.       4 

^ 

B.MT. 

3 

n 

ft 

ManitOii  R.    . 

36 

m.n. 

9 

h 

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i 

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9 

0 

it 

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i 

fo 

S  W. 

9 

300 

0 

Arrow  prunes 

• 

» 

S.HT. 

6 

t0 

It 

The  Charitons 

• 

30  &  70  if.  £. 

U 

0 

0 

Ancient  village  of  the  Mis-"^ 

sotiri  Indians  near  w 

hich 

>* 

k.  B. 

16 

If 

-w    • 

forrtierlf  stood  F  Orleans.  J 

Grand  R. 

i 

do 

it.  B. 

4 

340 

4 

Snake  creek      .   ^    t 

• 

^* 

If.  B. 

6 

it" 

''^'tt- 

Ancient  vttltfge  of  the  Lit-  ^ 

a 

9.1A 

10 

9S6> 

0 

tie  Osage  Indians. 

> 

Tiger  creek  &  island 

• 

35 

P.  B, 

SO 

V 

.  ^ 

A  creek  ami  island 

• 

// 

S.  IT. 

13 

» 

<» 

Fire  prairie  8c  creek 

f 

n 

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13 

ft 

// 

Fort  Clark  (Or  Osage) 

i 

it 

t.iih. 

6 

sm 

If  '"' 

n 


1' 


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m 

JOiUBVAL. 

Ptaeei. 

mjih. 

Sidt. 

Dh. 

T.D. 

Lat. 

Hay  Cabin  creek 

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s.  ir. 

6 

II 

II 

Coal  bank 

• 

u 

s.  tr. 

9 

n 

II 

BlMe.W«t«r  R.  .m  »: 

,■ 

.       30 

S.  IK. 

10 

u 

II 

Kansas  R.      .    .-'.-' 

t 

.  >•  333 

S.  ff. 

9 

340 

39»  05 

Little  R.  Platte 

.       60 

V.  £. 

9 

// 

f» 

1.  Old JLatiMs  Village 

\% 

\-  h^MVK 

5.  W, 

28 

II 

n 

^^dependence  c;reek 

\# 

^$.  w. 

38 

II 

II 

3.  by^  Kai^t  village 

» 

n 

s,  nr. 

1 

II 

n 

St.  MichaeVs  prairie 

ir 

• 

S.  B. 

34 

II 

It 

Nodj^Kra  R,         ,    . 

t 

7a 

K.  B. 

SO 

450 

39«  40* 

^<Qup  pr  Wolf  R. 

60 

S.  W. 

14 

II 

» 

// 

I^ig  Nimeha 

• 

80 

4.  IV. 

1*6 

II 

n 

Xai'kjio  creek 

.       33 

V.  B. 

3 

II 

II 

NisK'^a-bo^ona 

• 

«o. 

V.  B. 

25 

508 

II 

Little  Nimeha 

48 

€.  nr. 

8 

H 

II 

Bald-pated  prairie*— the  riv*'^ 
cr  Nish-na>botona  is  at  this  I 
place  not  mor^  than  150  yds  | 
from  the  bank  of  the  Mis'r.J 


V.  £.    33 


II : 


Weeping-water  creek       .      35 

S.  V. 

39 

//         « 

RiVE{i  Platte    ...    .    600 

s»  nr. 

S3 

600  41*  Oi' 

Butterfly  creek      .        .          18 

s.  w. 

3 

//         II 

Milsketoe  creek        .        .32 

S.E. 

7 

II         II 

Ancient  village  of  Ottoes   .    ,  * 

s.  tv. 

11 

II         II ' 

do.  of  Ayuwat         .        .      " 

N.  E. 

6 

II         II 

— t^.     V  .      ,  .         .           38 

It.  B. 

11 

II         II 

Council  Blu^s                   ,      " 

s.  m 

IS 

650  41*  \r 

Soldier's  R.^      ^    .        .          40 

y.  E. 

39 

It       It 

Little  Siot^       .        .        .      80 

V.  B. 

44 

II         n 

Bad  Spirit  R.        .        .          '^ 

S^HT. 

55 

788       " 

A  bertd  in  the  river,  30  miles  ^ 
round  Be  hut  900  yds.  across  J 

21 

809        "" 

a0  m 

W9 

An  island  3  miUs  N.  £.  of  J     ^^    . 
Floyd's  village.                  >     ' 

27 

836       " 

A  f 

Floyd's  riwr  &  bluff.,   .,  .      35 

if.  R. 

14 

850       '^ 

JQUKHMUil 

13iu^  Sioux  R.    s       -'n  .«     .     119 
Commencememtjof (fcctCo-*^    ;,(       . 

beli,  Alum  ami  Cogporas  ^  '(  . 
vblufi*.      : ;      .  J    (T.!     . 

Hot  or  Burning  bluffii  :     .      "^^ 
Whit«  Stone  R,;.     .  ,  v*  30 

49  old  village  at  the-imuth  }  ^''^ 


of  Little  fldwereek  3 

River  i  Jaque,  or  James  R. 

Calumet  bluff 

Ancient  fortification, 
Good  Man's  Isle 

Plumb  creek        * 

White  Paint  creek  , 

Qui  Courre  creek 

Poncas  river  Sc  village 

The  village  of  dog  prairies 

The  island  Cedar 

Whit»  Rivkk    .... 

The  3  rivers  of  the  Sioux 

An  island  in  the  upper  part ) 
of  the  Big  Bend  5 

Upper  part  of  the  Big  Bend  ) 
the  gorge  1^  mile  across  5 

Tyler's  R.         .        .        . 

L'Oiselle's  post*  Cedar  isl'd 

Titon  R.        .        .        . 

The  upper  part  of  five  old^ 
record  villages  of  Arikar^ » 
reduced  by  the  Siou3( 

Chienne  R. 

Old  Record  village 

Ser-war-cema  . 

Waterehoo  . 

Old  village  on  an  island 


90 


19 

38 

150 

SO 

0  ■ 

If 

300 
36 


35 
70 


r 


400 

ff 

90 

130 
ff 


Side.    Diit  TP,„J^. 

f.  r. .  3r   88a lojSii.vr 

If.  M.      8—   "     .'lA    — 


5.  jr. 


To i  ci' ((ii,.']fno J 
s.  £.  12  950  43"  53' 
s.ir.     13      "        " 

s.nr,     13     976       " 


y.  B. 
s.  tt\ 
1.  w. 
s.  w. 
s.w. 


u 
n 
h 
It 

H 

ft 
It 

0 


10  " 

8  " 

6  1000 

10  " 

20  " 

40  " 

s.  K^.     60  1130 

jr.  jr.    23  " 

s.ir.    20      *       /' 

s.  IK,    30      "        * 

5.  AT.       6  1308      '' 

If      *     44<'  13' 
s.w.     37      "        - 

s.tr.    43      "        *^' 

s.m       5   1310  44^  30^ 
47       If   '    'n 

s.W.     40  1397       " 
s.nr.     m   1433  45^  35' 


.■ 


Ji 


s.  nr. 


/> 


Stone  Idol  cre<s^       . 
Varecor*  •      % 

Cannon-b«ll  R. 
Old  muHUto  vUkge       , 
•-A*.         —        ♦ 


HHmmiN 

ir?«ik 

SiJt, 

JDiHTA   Xm; 

• 

s.  w. 

4      #        « 

.       18 

a.B, 

It      •        • 

S5 

»  a. 

40      •       •    • 

.     140 

S.Mr. 

13  1500  46*  89* 

• 

s.m 

40      "        • 

♦      ♦- 

»y.  Mr. 

40      •        • 

• 

9»m 

30  ifloo  «7«  m 

r  '1    ' 

40  1440     ! 

n  f^titi 

• 

> 

y 

y    '  'i.  * 


1      t 


\ 


•it.'  i. 


Ammmif^ 


iK- 


APPENDIX 


IW 


EXTRACT  PROM  mrHBOLDrS  NEW  SPAIN— Vol.  H, 
4I»  42,  43, 4<  44,  fc  119»  '30,  '21.  'Zh  '33,  &  Ul,  78.  73,  74- 


(No.  1.) 

THE  only  ancient  monuments  in  the  Mexican  val'iey,  wrhicit 
^m  ^heir  tise  or  their  masses  can  strike  the  eyes  of  •  Euro- 
peuUi  are  the  remains  of  the  two  pyramids  of  San  Juan  de  Teotl- 
huiicaa«  situated  tp  the  north  east  of  the  lake  ot'TescucOf  conse- 
crated to  the  sun  ami  moon,  which  the  Indians  called  Tonatiuh 
YtBaqual,  house  of  the  sun,  and  Metsli  Ytsaqual,  house  of  the 
noon.  According  to  the  measurements  made  in  1 803  by  a  young 
Iklexicaii  seryant,  doctor  Otey4a,  the  first  pyramid,  which  is  the 
inost  southern,  has  in  its  pfesent  state  a  base  S[  908  metres* 
(645  fret)  in  length,  and  55  metres  (66  Mexican  vara,t  or  171 
foitl)  of  perpendicular  elevation.  The  second,  the  pyramid  of 
the  moon,  ik  eleven  metres}  (30  feet)  lowcrtand  its  base  is  much 


•  «»Mwt  ■nglMi. 

f  YeUaque*  found  that  the  Mexican  vara  contained  exactly  31  inch- 
es rf  the  old  pied  du  roi  of  Paris.  The  northern  facada  of  the  Hole*  dtit 
|nvk\lides  at  Paris  is  only  600  feet  French  in  length 

t  180  feet  Bngliih.     7V«m^ 
1 36  k>:»  English.    Tram- 


2r» 


APPENDIX. 


less.  These  monuments,  according  to  the  accounts  of  the  first 
travellers,  and  from  the  form  which  they  yet  exhibit,  were  the 
models  of  the  Azt  teocallis.  The  nations  whom  the  Spa- 
niards found  settled  in  New  Spain  attributed  the  pyramids  o't 
Teotihuacan  to  the  Toulteo'  ^'tioQ  ;*  '^bQsot^uently  their  con- 
struction goes  as  far  back  as  the  eighth  or  ninth  cqntury ;  for  tho^ 
kingdom  of  Tolula  lasted  from  667  to  1031.  The  faces  of  these 
edifices  are  to  within  52'  exactly  placed  from  north  to  south,  and 
from  east  to  west.  Their  interior  is  clay,  mixed  with  small 
stones.  This  kernel  is  covered  with  a  thick  wall  of  porous 
amygdaloid.  We  perceive,  besides,  traces  of  a  bed  of  lime  which 
covers  the  stones  (the  tctzontli)  on  the  outside.  Seveial  authors 
of  the  sixteenth  century  pretend,  according  to  an  Indian  tradi- 
tion, that  tlie  interior  of  these  pyramids  is  /  oliow.  Boturini 
says  that  Siguenza,thf  Mexican  geometric)  >ti,  in  vain  endenvor- 
ed  to  pierce  these  edifices  by  u  gallery.  They  formed  four  lay- 
ers of  which  three  are  only  now  perceivable,  the  n^juries  of  time, 
and  the  vegetation  of  the  cactus  and  agaves  having  exercised 
their  destructive  influence  on  the  extei  ior  of  theRe  monuments. 
A  stair  of  large  hewn  stones  formerly  led  lo  their  tops,  where^^ 
according  to  the  accounts  of  the  first  traveJlei  s,  were  statues 
covered  with  very  thiu  lamina  of  gold.  Each  of  the  four  prin- 
cipal layers  was  subdivided  into  small  gradations  of  a  metrcf  in 
I)eight,  of  which  the  edges  are  still  distin^^uifihable,  which  wcre^ 
covered  with  fragments  of  obsidian,  that  were  undoubtedly  the 
edge  of  instruments  with  which  the  Toulteo  and  Aztec  pricsts*^ 
in  their  barbarous  sacrifices  (Pafiahua  Tlemacazque  or  TeO' 

*  Siguenza,  however,  in  hia  manuscript  notes,  believes  them  to  be 
fh^  work  of  the  Olmec  nation,  which  dwelt  round  the  Sierru  de  Tlusca*' 
la,  called  MatlaCueje.  If  this  hypothesis,  of  which  we  are  u  jocquainted 
with  the  historical  foundations,  be  true,  ihete  uionumeitts  wouid  be  still 
more  ancient.  For  the  Oimccs  belong  to  the  ftrsi  nations  mentioned  in 
tite  Aztec  chronology  as  existing  in  New  Spain.  It  is  even  pretended 
that  the  Ohnccs  are  the  only  hmioa  of  which  the  migration  took  place, 
not  from  the  north  and  nortU-west  (Mongol  Asia  ?)  but  from  the  east 
([Europe  ?). 


f  3  feet  3  inches.    Trcnig. 


APPENDIX. 


m 


fikcqui)  opoiied  the  chest  of  the  human  victims.  We  kncrr  that  s 
the  bbsiiian  (itstli)  wus  the  object  of  the  great  mining  under- 
takings, cf  which  we  still  see  the  thices  in  an  innumerable  quan- 
tity of  pits  between  the  mines  of  Moran  and  the  village  Atoto- 
nilco  el  Grande,  in  the  porphyry  mountains  of  Oyamel  and  the 
Jacal,  a  regipn  called  by  the  Spaniards  the  mountain  of  knives, 
el  Cerro  de  las  Navajas.* 

It  would  be  undoubtedly  desirable  to  have  the  question  re- 
solved, whether  these  curious  edifices,  of  which  the  one,  (the 
Tonatiuh  YtzaquaU)  according  to  the  accurate  measurement 
of  my  friend  M.  Oteyza,  has  a  mass  of  128.970  cubic  toises,t 
were  entirely  constructed  by  the  hand  of  man,  or  whether  the 
Toultecs  took  advantage  of  some  natural  hill  which  they  cover- 
ed over  with  stone  and  lime.  This  very  question  has  been  re- 
cently agitated  with  respect  to  several  pyramids  of  Giza  and 
Sacara ;  and  it  has  become  doubly  interesting  from  the  fantas- 
tical hypotheses  which  M.  Witte  has  thrown  out  as  to  the  ori- 
gin of  the  monuments  of  colossal  form  in  Egypt,  Persepolis, 
and  Palmyra.  As  neither  the  pyramids  of  Teotihuacan,  noi'  that 
Cholula,  of  which  we  shall  afterwards  have  occasion  to  speak, 
have  been  diametrically  pierced,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  with 
certainty  of  their  interior  structure.  The  Indian  '^raditbns,  from 
which  they  are  belie vAiSH^e  hollow,  are  vague  and  contradic- 
tory.  Their  situation  in^lains  where  no  other  hill  is  to  be  found, 
renders  it  extremely  tfvibable  that  no  natural  rock  serves  for  a 
kernel  to  these  moiwUlents.  What  is  also  very  remarkable 
(especially  if  we  calaB  mind  the  assertions  of  Pococke,  as  to  the 
symmetrical  positi^of  the  lesser  pyramids  of  Egypt)  is,  that 
around  the  houses  of  the  sun  and  moon  of  Teotithuacan  we  find 
a  group,  I  may  say  a  system  of  pyramids,  of  scarcely  nine  ot  ten 
metres  of  elevation.^    These  monuments,  of  which  there  are 

*  I  found  the  heig^ht  of  the  summit  of  the  Jacal  3  124  metres 
(10.348  feet;)  and  la  Roccade  Ins  Ventanas  at  the  foot  ofthe  Cerro  (hs> 
l.ts  Navajas,  2.590  metres  (8.496  feet)  akove  the  level  of  llie  sea. 

t  33.743.201  cub'.c  feet     Trnnj, 
t  29<)r33fccl.    TraM. 


hi 


!  1  ,i 


m 


At*fE«i>lX. 


perend  buodreds,  are  disposed  io  veiy  lurge  sttreett  whieii  f^ 
low  exactly  the  direction  ftf  the  pMr«ilels,  and  oi  the  m«Kc''ji«)ti 
and  which  terminate  in  the  louriacesoi  the  two  great  pyramids. 
The  k&sei-  pyramids  are  more  fre<|Ment  towards  the  southern 
aide  of  the  temple  of  the  moon  than  towards  the  tensple  of  the 
sun  apd)  according  to  the  tr«dition  of  the  country,  they  weri 
tledicated  to  the  stars.  It  appears  certain  elMMlgh  that  they  serr* 
ed  as  burying  places  for  the  chiefs  of  tribes^  AH  the  plain 
which  the  Spaniardai  from  a  word  of  the  iangvage  of  the  islund 
of  Cuha,  call  I^ttmo  de  lot  C«e«,  bore  formerly  in  the  ^«tet 
Mid  Toultec  languages  the  name  of  Mtettott^  or  road  of  the 
dead.  What  analogies  with  the  nranumeius  of  the  old  continent  i 
And  this  Toultec  people,  who,  on  arriving  io  the  seTcnih  cen« 
tury  on  the  Mexican  soil,  constructed  «b  a  unilum  plsn  several 
ff  those  colossal  monuments,  thoae  truncated  pyramids  divided 
by  layers,  like  the  temple  of  fielus  at  Babylon,  whence  did  they 
take  the  model  of  these  edifices  I  Were  th^^y  of  Mongol  race  ^ 
Did  they  descend  from  a  common  stock*  with  the  Chliiesc* 
the  Hiomg-nu,  and  the  Japanese  ? 

Anotlier  ancient  monument^  worthy  of  the  traveller's  atten' 
Uon,  is  the  military  intrenchment  of  Xochicalco,  situats'i  to  the 
S.  S-  W.  of  the  town  of  Cuernavaca,  near  Tetlamu,  belong^  ;)«^ 
to  the  parish  of  Xoohitepeque.  it  is  an  insulated  htU  of  i  if 
metres  of  elevatioo,  sui  rounded  vv  e^  t^ches  or  trenches,  anA 
divided  by  the  hand  of  nvao  into  iive  teinrrca^  c<;t-^red  with  ma« 
•onry.  The  whole  formsi  a  truo'"r',ed  py-vtt  ki.  .  'hich  he  fou^ 
faces  are  exactly  laid  down  according  to  th«g  inur  cardinal  points. 
The  porphyry  stones,  with  basaltic  basest  are  of  a  very  regulaf 
sut,  and  are  adorned  with  hierogtypliical  figures,  among  whicH 
arc  to  be  seen  crocodiles  spouting  up  water,  and,  what  is  very 
wrieus,  men  siltiog  croos-legged  in  the  Asiatic  manner.    The 


*  See  a  work  of  Mr.  Herders:  Idea  of  a  Pliilu9ophtcal  History  of  the 
Kiiman  species,  Vol.  H.  page  11,  (in  fJcrman,)  and  K.s8ay  towards  a  \i\\* 
•  •"trrsal  History, bylt  OntUMiT,  page  489,  (in  German.) 


1 


Al»P^NDYX. 


^ 


plaX^ona  of  this  extraordinary  monument*  contains  more  than 
9.000  vquare  metre3,t  and  exhibits  the  i'uins  of  a  small  square 
edifice,  Which  Undoubtedly  served  for  a  last  retreat  to  the 
besieged.  * 

The  tableiland  of  La  I^^^ebla  exhibits  remai'kabie  Vestiges  of 
ancient  Mexican  civilisation.  The  fortifications  of  Tlaxcullan 
iU'e  of  a  construction  posterior  to  that  of  the  great  pyramid  of< 
CholUlar  a  curious  monument,  of  which  I  shall  give  a  hihmte 
description  in  the  histcrical  account  of  my  travels  in  the  interioi* 
of  the  new  continent.  It  is  sufficient  to  state  here,  that  this  py- 
ramid, on  the  top  of  which  I  made  a  great  number  of  astrono- 
mical  observations,  consists  of  four  stages ;  that  in  its  present 
state  the  (lei  pendicular  elevatibn  is  only  54  metres,^  and  the  ho* 
rizontal  breadth  of  the  base  439  metres  ;$  that  its  sides  are  very 
exactly  in  the  direction  of  the  meridians  and  parallels,  and  tb'.c 
it  is  constructed  (if  we  may  judge  from  the  perforation  made  » 
few  years  ago  in  the  nbrth  side)  of  alternate  strata  of  brick  and 
cUy.  These  data  are  sufficient  for  our  recognising  in  the  con- 
struction of  this  edifice  the  saftie  model  observed  in  the  form  of 
the  pyramids  of  Teotihuacan,  of  which  we  have  already  spok* 
en.  They  suffice  also  to  prove  the  great  analogy||  between  these 
hnck  monuments  erected  by  the  most  ancient  inhabitants  of  Ana- 
huac,  the  femple  of  Beius  at  Babylon,  and  the  pyramids  of 
Mrnschich-Dashour,  near  Sakhara  in  Egypt.  . 


.lii'il 


'  II 


•  Description  if  e  las  antiguedades  de  Xochicalco  dedicada  a  las  Se  • 
nores  de  la  Expedicion  marilima  baXo  las  ordeues  de  Don  Alexandro 
Malaspina,  por  Don  Juse  Antonio  Alzate^  Mexico,  1791|  p.  12. 

t  96.825  square  feet.     Traru. 


+  177  feet.     Trans. 
§  1.423  feet.     Trann. 

II  Zoefo  de  Ohelitcitt  p.  380 ;  Voyages  die  Poeocke,  CedittM  He  Jfauf- 
thiuel,)  li  52,  lom.  i  p.  156  and  167  i  Voyage  de  /lenon,  4io.  edit  p.  86. 
394.  and  237  i  Grobert  Description  Jet  jfyramiaes,  p.  6.  luid  12. 


v.* 


APPEiSDlS!; 


The  pletfofm  of  the  truncated  pyramid  of  Cholula  has  a  sur- 
face ol  4/^00  square  metres.*  In  the  midst  of  it  t!>crc  is  u  church 
dedicated  to  Nucstru  Srnora  de  \o^  Rcmcdios,  surrounded  with 
cypress,  in  whicl»  mrss  is  celebrated  every  morning  by  an  eccle- 
sjahtic  of  Indkn  extractioni  wUose  habitual  abode  is  the  sum- 
mit of  this  ntonumeiit.  It  is  from  this  platform  that  >ve  enjoy 
the  delicious-  and  majestic  view  of  the  Volcan  de  la  PuebUt  the 
Pic  d'Orizabla,  and  the  small  cordillcra  of  Matlucueye,t  which 
formerly  separated  the  tcrritoi7  of  the  Cholulans  from  that  of 
the  Tlascaltec  republicans. 

The  pyramid,  or  teocalli,  of  Cholula,  is  exactly  of  the  same 
height  as  the  Tonatiuh  Itzaqual  of  Tcotihuacan, already  describ- 
ed; and  it  is  three  metres^  higher  titan  the  Mycerinus,  or  the 
third  of  the  great  Egyptian  pyramids  of  the  group  of  Ghize.— 
As  to  the  apparent  length  of  its  base,  it  exceeds  that  of  all  the 
edifices  of  the  same  description  hitherto  found  by  travellers  in 
the  old  continent,  and  is  almost  the  double  of  the  great  pyramid 
known  by  the  name  of  Cheops.  Those  who  wish  to  form  a  clear 
idea  of  the  crreat  mnss  of  this  Mexican  monument  from  a  com- 
parison with  objects  more  generally  known,  may  imagine  a 
Bquare  four  times  the  dlratnsions  of  the  Pla*' '  Ventlomc,  cover- 
ed with  a  heap  o'"  bricks  of  twice  the  elevation  of  the  Louvre ! 
The  whole  of  tlic  Jnterior  of  the  pyramid  of  Cholula  isnot,  per- 
haps, composed  of  brick  Thc»e  bricks,  as  was  suspected  by  a 
celebrated  antiquary  ut  Ronic,  1.  Zoega,  probably  form  merely 
an  incrustation  of  a  H^ap  ot  stones  and  liinc,  like  many  of  the 
pyramids  of  Sukhara,  visited  by  Poconke,  and  movt  recently  by 
M.  Grobert.  Yet  the  road  fron;  Puebla  to  Mecamcca,  carried 
across  a  part  of  thef  first  stage  of  tlie  teocalli,  docs  not  agree  ^vith 
this  supposition. 

V 

*  4.  S.208  square  feet  English.    Trans. 

f  Called  also  the  Sierra  Malinche,  or  Dona  Mai-ia.  Malinche  ap- 
pears to  be  derived  t'rom  Maiintxin,  a  word  (I  know  not  why)  wliich  is 
now  the  name  ot  the  Holy  Virg^in. 


t  9.8  feet.    Tran». 


APPRNOIX.  SP 

Wo  know  nbt  the  ancient  height  of  this  extraordinarf  mo- 
nument. In  its  present  stute,  the  icng;th  of  iti  buse*  is  to  its  per- 
pendicular height  as  8  :  I ;  while  in  the  three  great  pyramids 
of  Ghize,  this  proportion  is  us  1  ^^  and  I  -/^  to  1',  or  nearly  as 
8  tu  5-  We  have  already  observed  that  the  houses  of  iLe  sun 
and  moon,  or  the  pyramidal  monunients  of  TtotihuuCun  north- 
cast  from  Mexico,  are  surrounded  with  a  system  of  small  |>yra- 
midii  arranged  symmetrically.  M.  Grobert  has  published  a  ve- 
ry curious  dru\?m|>  of  the  equally  regular  disposition  of  xhb 

*  I  sltRll  here  8u1>joln  the  true  dimensions  of  the  three  great  pyra< 
mids  of  Ghize,  from  the  interesting  wurk  of  M.  Urobert  I  shall  [ilace 
in  adjoining  columns  the  dimensions  of  the  brick  pyramidal  monuments 
of  Skkhara,  in  Kgypt,  and  of  Teotihuucan  and  Cholula,  in  Mexico.  |.^be 
numbers  are  French  feet.    (A.  French  foot  ;;b  ],.u66  English.)         '■'h:> 


Stone  pyramids. 


Cheops 


Height. 
Length 
of  Base. 


44U 
r28 


Cephren. 


.>d8 

655 


Mycerinus. 


380 


Brick  pyramids'.' 


Vv).W  i'.t 


*>f  t'ive 

Stages  in 

Kg)  pt,  near 

Bukhara 


150 
1      .?W 


(il  t-'our  Slaves  ^i 
Mexipo. 

T^otsbUtlCholula. 
acan 


« 


Vt2 
1355 


II  ?n 


It  is  curious  to  observe.  1.  ThatthepeopIeofAnahuac  have  had  the 
intention  of  giving  the  height  and  the  double  base  of  the  Tonatiuh  Uzta. 
quul  to  I  he  pyramids  of  Cholula;  and,  2.  That  the  great  e9(  of  all  the 
Egyptian  pyramids,  that  of  Asychi;,  of  which  the  base  is  8C0  feet  in 
length,  is  of  brick  and  not  of  stone.  (Grobert,  p.  6.)  The  cathcdr.al  of 
Strasbourg  is  ei'^ht  feet,  and  the  cross  of  St.  I-'etei-,  at  iiqme,  41  feet  low- 
cr  than  the  Cheops.  There  are  in  Mexico  pyramids  of  several  stages, 
in  the  forests  of  I*apantl;i,  at  a  small  elevation  above  the  level  of  iht  sea, 
and  in  the  plains  of  Cholula  and  Teolihuacan,  at  elevations  surpassing 
those  of  our  passes  in  the  Alps.  We  are  astopishedto  see  in  regions  the 
most  remote  from  one  another,  and  under  climates  of  the  greatest  diver- 
sity, man  following  the  same  model  in  his  edifices,  in  his  oinamcntSi  ii» 
){is  habits,  and  even  in  the  form  of  his  poUticsUn8tituiioi\s, 


!    :     :l 


2r6 


APPENDIX. 


sipall  pyramids  which  surround  the  Cheops  and  Myccrinus  at 
Ghizti.  The  teoculii  ol  Choluk,  if  it  is  ahQwabte  to  compare  it 
vrith  these  great  Egyptian  monuments,  appears  to  have  been 
cou!»irncted  on  an  analqgous  plan-  We  still  discover  on  the 
w>-stcrn  side,  opposite  the  cerrqs  of  Tecui^etc  and  Zapotec^,  two 
completely  prismatical  masses.  Qne  of  these  masses  now  btars 
the  ni^me  of  Alcosac,  or  Istenenetl,  and  the  other  that  of  the 
Cerro  dp  )a  Cruz.  The  elevation  of  (he  letter,  whiich  is  con- 
structed en  /iiac',  is  only  1$  metres.* 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  intendancy  of  Vera  Cruz,  west 
froni  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Tecolutla,  at  two  leagues  distance 
from  the  great  Indian  village  of  Papuntlu,  we  met  with  a  pyra- 
midal edifice  of  great  antiquity.    The  pyramid  of  Papantla  re« 
mained  unknown  to  the  Qrst  conquerors.    It  is  situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  thick  forest,  called  Tajin  in  the  Totonac  language.—- 
The  Indians  concealed  this  monument,  the  object  of  an  ancient; 
vener^tiont  fur  centuries  from  the  Spuniaids ;  and  it  was  only 
discovered  apcident^lly  by  some  hunters  about  thirty  years  <igo. 
This  pyramid  of  Papantla  was  visited  by  M  Dup^s.t  (in  dbserve  r 
of  great  modesty  and  leannng)  who  hati  long  employed  hin^self 
in  cwripuu  researches  regarding  the  idols  an^.  architecture  of 
the  Mexipans.    He  exa^)ined  carefu%  the  cut^of  the  stones  of 
which  ijt  it  constructed ;  and  he  made  ft  drawing  of  the  hierogly- 
phic^ w^th  which  these  enormqua  stones  j^d  covered.    |i  is  to 
be  wishe  \  'hat  he  yipuld  publish  the  description  of  this  interest- 
ing monuiaent.     The  figurt  ^  published  in  1788,  ip  the  Gazette 
•f  Mexico  is  extremely  iptperfeci. 

The  pyramid  ol'  Papantla  is  not  constructed  of  bricks  or  clay 
mixed  with  whin  stent  s,  and  faced  with  a  wall  of  amygdaloid) 
like  the  pyramids  oi'Cholula  and  Teotihuacan;  th^  only  mat^-* 

f  49ifeet.    Trant. 


f  Captain  in  the  service  of  the  king  of  Spain.  He  ppsscsses  the  bust 
in  bussaltcB  of  a  Mexican  priestess,  which  I  tmploycd  M.  j^asiiard  to  en- 
gi  iive,  find  which  be.srs  great  resemblance  to  the  Calanthicu  pf  the  heads 
pi  Isis. 

\Bcm\mM(mumentii!iArchit9ttura  Meifieana  di  IHetro  Mur^uea,. 
iponta,  1804,  tab.  i. 


APPENDIX. 


an 


rials  employed  are  immense  stones  of  «  porphrriiical  shape—- > 
Mortar  is  distinguishable  in  the  scams.     The  edifice}  however, 
is  not  so  remarkahle  for  its  size  as  for  its  symnaetry,  the  polish 
of  the  stoncsi  and  the  great  regularity  of  their  cut.     The  base 
of  the  pyramid  is  an  exact  square,  each  side  being  35  metres* 
in  length.    The  perpendicular  height  appears  not  to  be  more 
than  from  16  to  SOmetresf  This  monument, like  all  the  Mcx< 
ican  teocallis,  is  composed  of  several  stages.     Six  arc  still  dis« 
tinguishable,  and  a  seventh  appears  to  be  concealed  by  the  vcge-* 
tation  with  which  the  sides  of  the  pyramid  are  covered.  A  great 
stair  of  57  steps  conducts  to  the  truncated  top  of  the  teocalli, 
where  the  human  victims  were  s^icriiiced.    On  each  side  of  the 
great  stair  is  a  small  stair.     The  facing  of  the  stories  is  adorned 
with  hieroglyphics)  in  which  serpents  and  crocodiles  carved  in 
relievo  arc  discernible.     Euch  fttory  contains  a  great  number  of 
square  niches  symmetrically  distributed.     In  the  first  story  we 
reckon  24  on  each  side,  in  the  second  20,  and  in  the  third  16.-^ 
The  number  of  these  niches  in  the  body  of  the  pyramid  is  366, 
and  there  arc  12  in  the  stair  towards  the  east.    The  Abb6  Mar* 
qucz  sup|x>ses  that  this  number  of  378  niches  has  some  allusion 
to  a  calendar  of  the  Mexicans ;  and  he  even  believes  that  in  each 
of  them  one  of  tlie  twenty  figures  was  repeated,  which,  in  the 
hieroglypbical  language  of  the  Toultccs,  served  as  a  symbol  ibr 
marking  the  days  of  the  qommon  year,  and  the  intercalated  days 
at  the  end  of  the  cycles.  The  year  being  composed  of  1 8  months, 
of  which  each  had  20  days,  there  would  then  be  360  days,  to 
wltich,  agreeably  to  the  Egyptian  practice,  five  complementary 
xiays  \|rere  added,  called  nemontrmi.    The  intercalation  took 
place  every  52  years,  by  adding  1 3  days  to  the  cycle,  which  gives 
360  +  54.  13»378,  simple  signs,  or  composed  of  the  days  of 
the  civil  calendar,  which  was  called  comJio/iualiihuUl,  or  tonal- 
fiohualliy  to  distinguish  it  from  the  comUhuitlaJiohuaUiztli;  cr 
ritual  calendar  used  by  the  priests  for  indicating  the  return  oF 
sacrifices.     I  shall  not  s^ttempt  here  to  examine  the  hypothesis 

•  88  feet     Trant. 

]  From  52  to  65  feet,     Tran%. 


i 


1 1 

I 


I' 


3?» 


APPENDIX. 


of  the  Abh£  Marquez,  which  hat  a  resemblance  to  the  astrono* 
mical  expldiiMtioiis  given  by  a  celebrated  hititoriun*  of  the  num> 
her  of  apartments  and  steps  found  in  the  great  Egyptian  luby. 
rinth. 

THE  MOUND  NEAR  SULT2ERT0WN,  M.  T. 
(No.  2.) 

I  have  been  favored  by  my  friend  the  Rev.  Mr.  Schemcrr 
horn  with  un  account  of  a  mound  near  Suhzf  rtown,  M.  T. 

"  At  Sultzertown,  M.  T.  six  miles  from  Washington,  is  n 
very  remarkable  Indian  mound,  and  in  every  respect  different 
from  any  1  have  seen  in  Ohio,  or  Kentucky.  It  is  not  like  those 
raised  on  a  plain,  or  the  river  alluviat  but  the  land  around  it,  is 
Very  uneven  or  rolling,  and  from  the  gradual  descent  of  the 
f;round  from  its  very  base,  we  should  be  naturally  led  to  con« 
elude,  that  here  they  had  taken  advantage  of  the  natural  position. 
Instead  of  raising  with  much  labor,  this  huge  pile  of  earth,  they 
liave  had  little  else  to  do  than  by  levelling,  to  form  the  mound 
agreeably  to  their  designs. 

"  Its  form  is  a  parallelogram,  whose  sides  bear  the  propor* 
lion  to  each  other  of  two  to  three,  and  measured  at  the  outside 
of  the  ditch,  contains  mure  than  six  acres.  The  first  elevation 
is  forty  feet,  the  area  of  which  muy  contain  four  acres.  On  the 
west  side  of  the  parallelogram,  about  the  middle  is  a  circular 
mount)  whose  diameter  Is  fif^y  feet,  and  which  measures  from 
the  base  eighty'six  feet.  Opposite  to  it  on  the  east  end,  is  a 
similar  mount,  whose  height  is  fifty  feet,  but  appears  to  have 
been  considerably  higher.  The  north  and  south  sides  which 
are  the  longest,  have  each  three  or  four  lesser  elevations,  but 
tvhich  are  considerably  washed  down,  the  whole  of  the  mound 
having  been  frequently  ploughed,  and  many  a  valuable  crop  rais- 
ed on  it ;  but  were  originally,  I  suppose,  at  least  ten  feet  above 
the  first  elevation.  The  whole  surrounded  by  a  deep  ditch, 
vrhich,  particularly  at  the  E.  and  W.  sides  is  still  very  percepti. 
ble.    On  the  S.  and  N.  aides  are  the  passages  out  and  in. 


M.  Gfitterer. 


APPENDIX. 


tra 


«  Whether  this  was  a  place  of  defence  against  an  enemy vor 
a^placc  devoted  to  religious  worship,  1  shall  not  undertake*  to 
determine.  This,  we  may  affirm  with  safety,  that  whatever  of 
these  theories  we  adopt,  however  visionary  this  may  appear  t« 
some,  many  things  pLusibie  may  be  said  on  each.  That  h  was 
admirably  calculated  as  a  place  of  defence  no  one  can  doubt^ 
who  considers  its  extent,  its  height,  its  ditch,  particularly  of  pa- 
lisadoed  and  military  works  erected  on  the  highest  mounds  or 
towers.  If  we  suppose  it  dedicated  to  purposes  of  devotion, 
and  the  people  to  be  worshippers  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  the 
first  species  of  idolatry,  the  different  heights  of  the  moundsi 
and  their  situation,  would  lead  us  to  conjecture,  that  the  high** 
est  was  consecrated  to  the  sun,  the  next  to  the  moon,  and  the 
lesser  ones  to  the  stars;  but  when  we  find  that  this  has  been  the 
idolatry  of  some  of  the  aborigines,  is  there  not  a  foundation  for 
the  conjecture  ? 

"  Human  skeletons  have  been  found  in  many  of  those 
mounds.  Mr.  Griffir.,  the  owner  of  the  Sultzer  mounds,  int'orm> 
ed  me,  that  his  sons  some  few  years  since,  had  brought  some  of 
the  bones  of  a  human  skeleton,  particularly  the  head  and  bones 
of  the  leg,  which  they  discovered  in  this  mound,  on  one  of  its 
sides  where  the  earth  had  been  washed  away.  The  skull,  he  ob- 
served, was  uncommonly  large,*  the  bones  of  the  leg  and  thigh 
much  longer  and  larger  than  of  common  men,  and  that  he  sup- 
posed the  skeleton,  which  unfortunately  was  never  taken  up  en- 
tirely, but  immediate  orders.given  to  re-deposit  the  bones,  would 
have  measured  between  six  feet  six  inches  and  seven  feet.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark,  that  du  Pratz  mentions  that  the  Natchez 
(who  according  to  their  tradition  came  from  the  west,)  de^^osit- 
ed  the  remains  of  their  sons  or  chiefs,  in  the  part  of  the  tem- 


I    ,.)■: 


*  It  is  dlfRcult  to  ae<:ount  for  the  enormous  site  of  the  skeletons 
found  in  the  western  country.  Are  they  only  of  extrabrdinary  individ- 
uals, or  do  they  prove  a  race  of  men  of  a  larger  size  than  any  existing 
at  the  present  day  ?  nothing  is  more  common  than  to  find  skeletons  of 
this  unusual  size.  There  was  for  a  long  timi-  preserved  at  fort  Chartres 
a  skull  of  an  astonialiing^  magnitude;  and  i  have  seen  a  juw  bone  which 
I  could  with  ease  pass  over  my  face,  and  leg  bone  which  reacJ|)^ed  thrfe 
i^i;hes  above  my  knse  from  tho  ground. 


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Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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AVPEUmi^ 


pie  where  was  kept  the  eternal  fire*  If  we  suppose  this  mound 
to  have  been  a  place  consect'ated  to  purposes  of  worship,  might 
not  the  foregoing  fact  account  for  the  finding  skeletons  in  some 
of  them,  without  supposing  the  original  design  mere  deposita- 
ries of  the  dead. 

•'  That  there  are  mounds  of  these  different  kinds  is  highly 
probable ;  but  I  see  no  reason  whj*  we  may  not  suppose,  some 
of  the  largest  of  them,  to  have  been  designed  for  all  these  pur- 
poses. The  altars  of  religion,  however  absurd,  may  be  the  theo- 
logy of  some  nations,  yet  superstition,  if  no  purer  principle,  will 
i'ender  these  dear  to  them  as  their  lives  If  so,  it  was  necessa- 
ry that  in  the  early  ages  duch  places  should  be  secured  and  de- 
fended.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  read  in  history,  of  nations  who 
have  made  their  last  stand  'iguinst  their  enemies  in  their  tem- 
ples, and  around  their  altars. 

"  And  again,  there  is  a  principle  in  human  nature  to  shew 
respect  to  great  and  good  men,  even  after  their  spirits  have  re- 
turned to  him  who  gave  them.  This  hsti  been  instanced  in  al- 
most every  nation.  I  shall  only  allude  to  the  practice  amongst 
the  British,  of  shewing  respect  to  departed  greatness  and  merit, 
by  placing  their  monuments  in  Westminster  ubby.  We  also 
find  that  amongst  christians^  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  their  de- 
parted pastors,  the  placing  their  remains  beneath  the  pulpit.— 
This  is  not  the  case  amongst  civilized  nations  only,  it  has  most 
prol)ttbly  been  the  custom  from  the  earliiest  ages.' 


»» 


.     (No.  3.) 
Communicated  by  the  rev.  Mr.  Mills. 

AT  Sultzertown,  near  Washington,  in  the  Mississippi  terri-. 
tory,  there  is  an  ancient  fortification.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  pa- 
rallek}gram>  including  between  three  and  four  acres  measured 
at  the  base.  The  mound  was  raised  46  feet  above  the  common 
ievel  of  the  ground;  near  the  middle  of  the  west  line  was  rais- 
ed a  large  mound  of  a  circular  form,  40  feet  above  the  first  level 
of  the  fortification,  making  the  distance  from  the  top  of  the 
mound  86  feet  above  the  common  level  of  the  ground.  The 
fijip  of  fills  tnotmd  htnl  been  ploughed  and  somewhat  ^yorn  down. 


APPENDtX. 


*5ai 


tt  was  six  or  ^ight  paces  across  it,  had  it  been  carried  up  lb  a 
ppiqt,  as  ipqst  likely  it  orij^ii)a}ly  was,  or  nearly  so,  it  would 
have  inci;easea  the  h^ght  of  the  mpunjd  30  or  40  feet.  Which 
latter  number  added  t6  the  86  feet,  its  present  heijght,  would 
nifike  it  186, feet,  above  the  groqnd  at  the  base.  When  the  pre* 
ise^it  proprietor  took  ppasessiou  of  his  plantation,  upon  Which 
Xlxp  fortification  stands,  about  20  years  ago,  the  country  around 
\ya9  timbered  and  covered  with  lime  brakes. 

There  Was  at  that  time  qo  umber  growing  lipbn  the  fortifi* 
i^aUpn  of  taoxe  than  a  foot  diameter,  opposite  the  high  mound 
Qn  the  west  line  was  another  mpund,  on  the  east,  but  not  «d 
^ligb,  about  50  feet  above  the  common  level  of  the  grounds 

In  t^e  middle  of  the  )north  and  south  lihes  were  the  appear* 
ances  pf  ways  to  ascend  ^nd  descend  ,t,he  fortification  s  on  each 
9ide  of  t^se  apparent  passways,  was  a  mound,  rising  not  more 
^^n  10. feet  ^bove  the  fortificatioi>^  but  near  50  above  the  level 
pf  the  groui^d  arptiqd.  There  was  remaining  part  of  the  way 
roypd  the  btise,  a  ^i^ch,  in  some  places,  at  the  time  1  saw  it,  near 
near  20  feet  deep.  Hunaan  bones  of  a  large  siee  have  beea 
foui^d  ne»r  the  ^oundk 


(No.  4) 

¥he  following  interesting  account  of  a  pat^t  o^  the  Missis*^ 
sippi  country  is  extracted  from  a  letter  to  the  editors*  dated 
Natchez,  Mississippi  Territory,  Jaoi  13, 4813. 

ts  handsomely  situated  ,fiin  Ahe  jwe&t  hahk  of  ,t|ie  i^iyj^ip  X<^*^ 
lonta,  which  rises  and  runs  intP  Uhe  iPpnqhartrain  in  the.par^ 
of  <St.  Tammany,  in  the.stute  of  LpMisifin^,  ^t  pi'ese;)t^is  town 
has  little  more  than  the  name,  .attached  to  an  e^cjg^nt,  l^ealthy, 
and  eligible  .spot  of  ground  >for  a  ^e.apurt  tp^irn.  Abqut  h^f^ 
dozen  French  built  mud  walled  huts,  and  about  as  m,any  log  l)oi}<> 
ses  or  cabins,  and  two  or  .three  small  ^rAQicis  are  ^11  ,^t8  present 
Improvements. 


r.U 


■*  National  £nteUigencer->  attributed  to  Ilr.^erry  of  theltT^'S^Ifj^i^ 


Mm 


262 


APPENDl* 


Correctly  to  appreciate  the  advantages  of  the  situation  of 
MiitUsonviile,  its  terraqueous  vicinity  must  be  unuci  aiood.  The 
land  east  and  west  from  this  place  along  the  borders  of  the  lake 
is  a  sandy  flat,  extending  from  five  to  twenty  miles  from  their 
shores,  and  nearly  as  level  as  the  still  ocean  which  seems  to 
have  receqed  from  it :  this  fiut  coast  is  the  termination  of  the  in- 
clined plain,  with  a  southern  exposure,  extending  from  near  the 
Mississippi  to  Pearl  river,  and  from  about  lat.  3i,  SO,  N.  to  the 
lakes:  it  is  pleasantly  diversified  with  pine  covered  plains  and 
ridges,  which  alternate  with  rich  low  grounds  or  intervals,  from 
half  a  mile  to  two  miles  in  bteadth,  on  all  the  numerous  streams 
which  dissect  it.  The  largest  and  tnost  Wes^iyardly  of  these 
streams  is  the  Amite  river,  which  interlocks  lis  western  branch- 
es with  the  waters  of  the  Homochitto,  fiayou  Sarah,  ahd  Thomp- 
son's creek,  which  is  the  last  considerable  creek  that  feeds  the 
Mississippi  from  the  east.  The  Amite  receives  at  Galvastowri 
the  Bayou  Manchaique,  an  outlet  in  time  of  high  \vater  from  the 
Mississippi,  s\x\d  loses  its  name  in  a  round  lake  called  Maure- 
pas,  which  is  about  nine  miles  in  diameter.  The  next  stream 
eastward  is  the  Tiefau,  which  has  its  source  a  fe^  niiles  north 
of  the  old  Spanish  line  in  lat.  3 1  ;  like  tne  Amite,  it  inclines  ^o 
the  east  of  south  in  its  cdurse,  and,  after  receiving  its  main 
branch)  th6  Talbany,  and  its  minor  branch  the  Ponchartoula, 
both  from  the  east^  it  also  empties  into  lake  Maurepas.  The 
waters  of  lake  Maurepas  enter  by  a  straight  called  the  pass  of 
Manchaique  into  lake  Ponchartrain,  which  lies  between  the  san- 
dy coast  of  the  continent  atiil  the  river  made  island  of  Orleans. 
Tanchipbhee  creek  rises  several  miles  further  north  than  the 
Tiefau,  atid  interlocks  with  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Amite;  in 
its  cours(e,  which  is  nearly  south,  it  receives  numerous  small 
streams,  and  mouths  into  lake  Ponchartrain,  three  miles  east  of 
Manchaique  Pass:  a  bar  at  its  mouth  obstinicts  its  navigatioui 
The  Tchefonta  and  Bouge  Falia  have  their  uttermost  springs 
near  together  about  twelve  miles  south  of  lat.  3 1 ;  their  courses 
are  nearly  parallel  till  they  unite  about  three  miles  N.  eastward 
from  Madisonville.  Bouge  Falia  receives  from  the  east,  little 
Bouge  Falia,  on  the  south  bank  of  which  is  an  elegant  range  of 
baia:acks  and  officers'  hoyses,  sufficient  for  a  regiment  of  men, 


APPENDIX. 


283 


which  have  been  built,  and  occupied  by  the  United  Stages' 
troops:  they  are  now  vacant  Bouge  Chitt6  Is  next  in  size  to 
Amite  river,  with  the  waiers  of  which  its  higher  branches  in- 
terlock; it  rises  west  of  north  from  MatUsbnville,  which  phice 
it  approches  in  its  course,  but  turns  to  the  cksit  stnd  enters  Peart 
river  i  between  which,  and  the  river  Tchcfonta  several  small 
creeks  and  bayous  rise  and  fall  into  lake  Ponchartrain,  but  they 
are  inconsiderable  in  point  of  size  oi:  extent. 

The  lakes  are  but  the  continued  channel  of  the  united  wat- 
ers of  the  Amite  and  the  other  streams  from  this  coast ;  their 
current  has  been  sufficiently  strong  to  defend  their  shores  from 
the  annual  deposits  of  alluvia  by  the  Mississippi,  in  greater  or 
less  degrees  at  different  points:  hence  the  inequalities  of  the 
width  of  the  lake :  lake  Maurepas  is  properly  the  lake  of  tho 
Tiefau.  The  Mississippi  has  extended  its  delta  around  the 
mouths  of  these  waters,  and  has  finally  bound  their  weakened 
current  close  to  the  coast,  left  thein  but  a  narrow  sti^aight,  call- 
ed the  Regulee,  through  which  as  they  pass  they  mingle  wUh 
the  waters  of  Pearl  river,  and  How  into  the  gulph  of  Mexico, 
about  50  miles  S.  £.  from  Madisonville* 

Lake  Ponchartrain  is  said  to  be  about  thirty  miles  wide  and 
tibout  sixty  miles  long:  it  has  an  even  sandy  bottom,  which 
seems  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  inclined  plain  of  the  coaat»  gra- 
dually descending  till  it  reaches  the  southern  shore,  which  is 
characterized  by  a  muddy  bottom,  and  a  marshy,  s,wampy  mar- 
gin. 

The  tides  of  the  lakes  depend  entirely  on  the  winds,  and  are 

consequently  irregular,  ebbing  and  flowing  as  it  changes,  and 
rising  occasionally  from  one  to  six  feet. 

The  channel  of  the  Regulees  adniiits  vessels  with  seven  feet 
draft  of  water;  and  any  vessel  that  can  pass  the  Regulees  may 
safely  navigate  the  lakes.  When  the  Mississippi  is  high,  any 
vessel  that  can  safely  enter  the  lakes  may  descend  fiayou  Man- 
chaique,  and  also  the  pass  of  that  name  between  the  lukes. 

The  river  Amite  is  sufitbiently  large  for  boat  navigation'  at 
the  junction  of  its  east  and  west  branches  a  few  miles  below  lat. 
31  <  Galvastown  is  situated  on  its  S.  £.  bank,  below  the  mouth 
of  bayou  Manchaiquc.  .'       . 


2H 


APPENDIX. 


The  Tiefau,  Talbana,  and  Poncbartoula,  are  capable  of  boat 
and  small  schooner  navigation-  Springfield  or  Bookter's  land- 
ing) is  situated  on  the  W.  bank  of  the  Talbana,  about  ten  roileii 
from  lake  Maurepas. 

The  Tanchepehoe  is  acQessible  for  boata  but  is  unfavorable 
for  schooner  navigation, 

The  Tchefonta  is  a  wide  and  handsome  little  river,  afford- 
ing a  safe  harbor  and  navigation  for  any  vessel  that  can  be  sailed 
through  the  Regulees,  Schooner  navigation  extends  several 
miles  up  the  eastern  branch,  called  Bouge  Falia,  on  the  west 
bank  of  which  a  town  js  laid  off  by  the  name  of  St.  Jack  j  anU 
several  buildings  are  ereqted. 

Madisonville  is  favorably  situated  for  the  coasting  and  West 
India  trade,  having  about  two  days  sail  in  going  out,  and  about 
two  weeks  sail  in  coming  in,  the  advantage  of  New  Orleans ;  it 
^es  more  convenient  to  the  necessary  supplies  fur  repairing 
and  building  vessels ;  it  is  believed  to  be  a  more  healthy  situa- 
tion, iess  infested  with  musketoeS}  an4  furnished  with  good 
spring  water. 

Madisonville  is  situated  two  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Tchefonta;  about  3Q  miles  N.  of  New  Orleans;  about  3Q 
miles  ]&. from  Springfield;  about  70  miles  B.from  Baton  Rouge ; 
8^4  about  QO  miles  ^.  by-  S-  from  St.  Francisville,  at  the  mouth 
pf  ].he  bayou  Sarah,  in  the  state  of  Louisiana.  It  lies  about  8Q 
miles  £-  S  £.  from  Woodville,  the  seat  of  justice  in  Wilkinson 
couhty ;  {(bout  1 10  miles  S.  £:  from  the  city  of  Natcnez ;  about 
6Q  miles  S,  £.  from  the  seat  of  jusdce  iq  Amite  colinty ;  about 
00  miles  S.  by  W.  from  N6w  London  or  Moniicello,  on  Ptarl 
river ;  abotit  65  miles  S-  W.  froit)  New  Columbia,  in  Marion 
county ;  ^boUt  140  miles  W.  S.  W.  from  fort  Stoddert,  and  aboUt 
1 10  miles  W'  from  Mbbile  town,  in  the  Mississippi  territory. 
Th^fie  are  the  conjectured  distances  on  rectalineal  dtr^ctions{ 
for  theret  are  few  or  no  roads  leading  towards^  M4disom'ille< 
The  Old  King'9  road,  as  it  is  culled,  leading  in  a  direction  from 
^aton  Rduge  (o  the  bay  of  St.  Lewis  a  few  miles  £.  from  the 
Hegulue$,  crossed  the  river  Tchefolita  about  half  a  mik  aboV0 
|I)6  Cockle  bank,  now  t^e  site  of  Madisonville. 


A^PENDTt. 


ft^^ 


The  l/nited  States*  troops  cut  a  road  from  the  vicinity  of 
Tchefonta  in  a  dirrci:ion  to  fort  Stoddert ;  but  the  water  and  the 
swamp  obstructions  on  it  rendered  it  almost  useless,  except  in 
vciy  dry  weather ;  and  the  great  hurricane  of  August  last,  has 
completely  blocked  it  up  as  well  as  every  other  road  approach- 
ing Maditionviile ;  and  the  police  laws,  weak  and  unsettled  in 
consequence  of  the  many  and  recent  changes  of  government, 
have  not  co-operated  with  public  spirit  to  clear  them  out. 

The  country  within  20  or  30  miles  of  the  Mississippi,  is  ge- 
nerally a  broken,  rich  land,  thick  wood  country,  with  a  heavy 
undergrowth  of  cane,  &c.  The  low  grounds  of  the  many 
streams  running  towards  the  lakes,  are  extremely  fertile;  and 
above  the  flat  woods,  the  low  grounds  of  which  are  too  moist 
for  cultivation,  it  is  believed  by  the  inhabitants,  that  sugar  cane 
may  be  cultivuted  to  perfection  and  advantage ;  and  recent  ex- 
periments strengthen  that  opinion.  Upland  rice  is  grown  in 
great  perfection,  and  may  be  rendered  a  very  profitable  culture 
on  these  low  grounds.  On  the  second  rate  low  grounds,  and 
first  rate  piney  lands,  wheat  grows  finely  and  yields  a  heavy 
grain :  it  ip  harvested  early  in  May :  but  wheat  is  an  uncertain 
crop,  on  account  of  the  rains  and  wind  which  are  apt  to  prevail 
about  the  season  of  its  blossoming ;  and  it  is  subject  to  a  rust. 
Indian  corn  grows  as  finely  and  yields  as  well  as  in  any  part  of 
the  United  States,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  excepted.  This 
coumry  is  inferior  to  none  for  the  culture  of  upland  cotton,  and 
is  superior  to  any  in  the  United  States  for  the  production  of 
cornfield  peas,  sweet  potatoes,  and  pompions.  The  piney  plains 
and  ridges  afford  excellent  water,  pleasant  and  healthy  situa- 
tions, and  luxuriant  and  abundant  pasturage. 

Madisonville  is  understood  to  be  chosen  by  the  agents  of  the 
iJavy  Department  for  repairing,  and  even  building  of  small  ves- 
sels of  war  for  the  southern  station ;  and  it  seems  peculiarly 
adapted  to  these  purposes:  the  vicinity  abounds  with  oak,  pine, 
and  cypress ;  here  also  tar  is  made  in  abundance,  with  as  great 
facility  as  in  any  part  of  the  union :  the  spun  hemp,  or  rope  yarn 
of  Kentucky,  may  be  brought  as  cheap  to  this  harbor  as  to  any 
other,  and  the  rigging  noay  be  laid  to  order  at  the  navy  yard 
mth  the  greatest  economy  and  advantage  to  the  public  9ervicc'. 


266 


APPENDIX. 


Provisions  will  also  be  furnished  here  of  as  good  a  quality  and 
as  cheap  as  in  any  other  seaport:  the  country  between  the  Peurl 
and  Mississippi  rivers  is  extremely  favorable  to  the  growth  of 
ho^s :  and  cattle  are  reared  to  as  great  perfection,  and  perhaps 
to  as  great  an  extent,  on  the  waters  of  Pearl  river,  and  particu- 
larly in  the  Choctaw  nation  of  Indians,  as  in  any  part  ot  the  U. 
Stutts. 

Why,  it  may  be  asked,  have  not  the  singular  advantages  of 
this  place  sooner  manifested  themselves?  The  French  were 
the  first,  and  for  many  years  the  only  civiliz(;d  inhabitants  in  the 
vicinity  of  Tchefonta.  Enterprise  is  not  one  of  the  characteristic 
truits  of  the  Louisiana  French.  A  few  small  fields  and  mud  wall 
houses,  are  the  most  of  their  improvements  in  this  ntighbor- 
hood.  The  burning  of  shell  lime  and  charcoal,  making  tar  and 
raising  cattle,  and  carrying  the  product  of  their  labor  to  the  Or- 
leans market,  were  generally  the  extent  of  their  pursuits.  At- 
tempts at  commerce  must  have  proved  futile,  as  there  were  no 
country  settlements  to  support  them ;  the  neighboring  country 
wait  still  within  a  few  years  past  inhabited  only  by  Choctaw  In- 
dians. 

The  country  back  of  Madisonvillc  now  sustains  a  very  consi- 
derable population  ;  but  there  being  no  roads  to  accommodate 
an  intercourse,  its  trade  is  diverted  into  other  and  unnatural 
channels.  The  capitalist  will  not  place  his  stock  on  a  coast 
where  there  are  no  roads  to  facilitate  trade ;  arid  the  inhabitants 
•f  the  country  have  little  inducement  to  make  roads  towards  c 
place  where  they  have  little  or  no  advantages  of  commerce — 
The  only  measure  necessary  tb  insure  an  influx  of  capital  to  M&- 
disonville,  and  to  make  it  gradually  assume  the  rank  of  a  re- 
spectable seaport  town,  is  the  making  of  two  or  three  good 
roads  in  proper  directions  through  the  flat  woods,  to  the  high 
and  hard  lands  of  the  adjacent  country.  And  with  a  capital  to 
invite  it,  the  natural  advantages  of  this  place  'vould  insure  it  the 
trading  seaport  of  a  country  larger  in  extent  than  the  state  of 
Cormecticut,  and  capable  of  sustaining  an  equal  or  greater  agri- 
cultural population. 

The  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Madisonville,  with  very  few  ex- 
ceptions in  favor  of  old  Spanish  and  French  titles,  belongs  to  th^ 


APPRND(X. 


av 


United  States ;  it  is  therefore  confidently  hoped  that  when  the 
peculiar  properties  of  this  port  shall  more  fully  unfold  thein« 
selves  to  the  view  of  the  government^  it  may  be  considered  ex- 
pedient to  cause  good  roads  to  be  made  at  the  public  expense, 
over  the  public  lands,  in  proper  directions  to  favor  and  facilitate 
commercial  intercourse  between  the  town  and  country. 


"TTh 


I 


(No.  5.) 

HAVING  spoken  of  the  Trappists  in  my  account  of  the 
mounds  in  the  American  bottom,  t  here  subjoin  a  description 
which  was  published  in  the  St.  Luuis  paper,  and  which,  contrary 
to  my  wishes,  I  have  understood  gave  great  oflence  to  the  good 
fathers. 

The  buildings  which  the  Trappists  at  present  occupy,  are 
merely  temporary:  they  consist  of  four  or  five  cabins,  on  a 
mound  about  fifty  yards  high,  and  which  U  perhaps  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  square.  Their  other  buildings,  cribs,  sta- 
bles, &c.  ten  or  fifteen  in  nuhnber,  are  scattered  about  on  th6 
plain  below.  I  was  informed  that  they  intended  to  build  on  th6 
terrace  of  the  large  mound ;  this  will  produce  a  fine  effect,  it  will 
be  seen  five  or  six  miles  across  the  plain,  and  from  some  points 
of  view  ten  or  twelve.  They  have  abotlt  one  hundred  acres  en- 
closed in  three  different  fields,  including  the  large  mound,  and- 
several  others. 

On  entering  the  yard,  I  found  a  number  of  persons  at  work, 
some  hauling  and  storing  aWay  the  crop  of  corn ;  others,  shap- 
ing timber  for  sortie  intended  edifice.  The  greater  numbef 
were  boys  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  of  age.  The  effect  on  my 
mind,  was  inexpressibly  st)*ange,  at  seeing  them  pass  and  repass 
each  other  in  perfect  silenee.  What  force  must  it  require  to 
subdue  the  sportive  temper  of  boyhood !  But  nothing  is  so 
strong  a:f  nature.  I  admired  the  cheerful  drollery  of  a  mulattoe 
lad,  with  02fe  leg,  who  was  attending  the  horse  mill :  as  the  oth«'r 
boys  passed  by,  he  generally  contrived  by  some  odd  trick  or 
gesticulation,  to  attract  their  notice,  and  commonly  succeeded 
in  exciting  a  amile.  It  was  a  faint  watery  gleam  of  suii-shine; 
which  seemed  to  say^  that  their  happiness  was  not  entirely  ob- 


Z' 


f  ' 


■  -' 


1^' 


3M 


iLPPJRNni)C. 


scured  by  the  lurid  gloom  which  the  iuffpmiiy  gf  **  diBtpiripfv^e^ 
imaginatioiM"  had  cast  «rouQd.  Good  GqU*  thought  I,  ip  it  pu^* 
sible  that  the  gift  which  thou  bettow^dst,  to  4i>MpgMi»li  us 
amidbt  thy  **■  vast  creation"  should  be  tlvMB  id^.spiscdi  for  >lrilhp^t 
speech,  how  could  we  ever  communicate  to  ^ch  other,  tb^t  wci 
possess  reasoning  powers~»a  munation  «f  Ahe  divji^  essence  ? 
To  make  the  highest  virtue  consist  in  silence^  was  reserved  for 
the  Trappists. 

Fatigued  and  chagrined  at  this  scene,  which  I  contemplated 
apparently  unobserved,  I  ascended  the  mound  which  cpo^ins 
iJie  dwellings.  This  is  .nearly  25  feet  in  height:  the  ascent 
rendered  ea^y  by  a  slanting  road*  I  wandered  nbout  here  for 
jiome  time,  in  expectation  of  being  noticed  by  sqme  one ;  it  was 
in  vaui  that  I  nodded  to  the  reverend  fathers,  or  peeped  into  their 
cabios.  How  unaccountably  the  i^ind  is  sometijnies  uffected  1 
J  own  I  felt  a  kind  of  awe,  for  which  I  w^&  unable  to  discover 
ihc  most  distant  cause.  Perhs^s  were  I  to  enter  a  Pagqd  fur  the 
first  time,  I  might  experience  the  same  feeing,  ^t  lepgth 
^seatipg  myself  upon  a  logi  I  amused  myself  with  the  appear- 
,at>ce  of  the  different  figures  as  they  silently  pasijed,  and  ipdulg- 
led^n^  reflections.  I  bad  read  of  solitary  monks,  and  had  seen 
;them  represented  in  paiutingSi  but  here, they  really  existed.—- 
The  ,recoiUeotion  of  the  figure  which  this  strange  order  of 
jpnen  has  made  for  so.niany  centuries,  inhistory,  and  \u  ropiance^ 
naturally  awakened  a  variety  of  remembrances  with  their  linked 
;4B^QCiatiQ^S'  I  admired  with  what  .rigid  severity  tfie  gopd  fa- 
.thers  banished  from  their  heads,  those  ornatnental  loc;ks  be- 
^itowe^by  qature,  leaving  one  wanderijig  tuft:  a  symbol  of  the 
«i;o>^AiOftbom9! 

I  had  the  good  (fortune  to  be  accq^ted  by  a  young  man,  who 
I  dipcpvered  to  be  in  ,their  employ nxent  as  a  kind  of  sjeward^ 
tthOMgh  wtotbeKiiviaej^ttacJhcd  to  the.^ociety.  J  expei;iencedre- 
liof  on  bejJie.  able  to  fin4  one  who  :va5  willing.to  speak :  .1  made  a 
tarietyof  inquiries  of  hiqi,  btit  to  very  Utile  purposo:  he  wag 
iiowfsyer  obliging,  and  promised  to  Jjpeak  in  my  behalf  to  the 
;Princ^pal.  In  a  short  time  Father  Jpseph  made  his  appearance  j 
I  learned  t^t  he  had  jtlie  government  of  the  monastery  in  the 
vi^^ce.qf  FAfher  Uxl;|ain.    He  is  a  s|jri^htly,  ^nd.inte|%^pt 


11 


APPENDIX. 


2^9 


tnan,  am  .nuch  to  my  surprise,  talked  with  wonderful  volubility^ 
which  excited  in  me  almost  as  much  surprise  as  Ruhinson  Cru* 
9oe  in  his  island,  felt,  when  his  parrot  addressed  him.  He  invited 
me  into  the  Watchmaker's  shop,  for  they  cai-'-y  on  several  trades^ 
to  Assist  in  supporting;  the  institution.  The  shop  was  well  fur- 
nished {  part  was  occupied  as  a  laboratory,  and  library ;  the  lat- 
ter but  iridiff^rent;  a  few  medical  works  of  no  repute,  and  the 
dreams  of  the  Fathers,  with  the  miraculous  wonders  of  the  world 
6f  Saints.  Several  men  were  at  work,  and  some  boys  busily 
employed.  One  poor  fellow,  tenor  twelve  years  of  age,  attract- 
ed my  attention  and  pity.  He  was  seated  by  a  stove^  mak- 
ing strokes  on  a  slate^  and  appeared  to  have  just  risen  from  the 
bed  of  sickness,  or  father  from  the  tomb.  Emaciated  to  the  last 
ejctreme,  his  face  was  pale,  coid  and  bloodless,  his  lips  purpled^ 
his  sunken  eye  marked  by  a  livid  streak)  and  his  counienauco 
overspread  with  a  listless  stillness.  Hud  it  not  been  for  the  fee* 
ble  motion  of  his  hand  ar  he  drew  it  over  the  slate^  and  the  occa^ 
sional  raising  of  his  heavy^  and  languid  eyelid,  I  could  have  be^ 
lieved  that  the  tenaht  of  this  sad  and  melancholy  ruin,  had  ^one 
to^eek  a  happier  abodci  I  felt  my  heart  swell  in  my  breast-* 
AlAft  i  poor  lone  creature^  thou  hast  no  mother,  no  sister,  to  watch 
over  thbe  with  the  tenderness  and  solicitude  which  none  but  » 
mother  or  sister  can  feel !  I  was  pleased  when  I  saw  Father 
Joseph' advance  towards  him  with  a  tenderness  and  benignity  of 
cbunteniincej  which  dues  not  belong  to  a  monk:  he  endeavored 
to  tiheer  him  by  speaking  pleasantly  to  him^  but  the  poor  fellow 
had  lost  the  power  of  smiling ;  his  physiognomy  was  locked  up 
in  rigid  coldness,  which  nothing  but  returning  he»lth,  or  the 
the  v^armth  of  parental  uiFection  could  soften. 

Father  Joseph  inquired  whether  I  had  dined,  and  being  in- 
fdfmedin  the  negative,  had  something  prepared  Mv  fare  was 
dittiple  $  tonVisting  chiefly  of  vegetables;  though  not  less  accep- 
t^t^'  for  it  was  given  with  good  will.  Having  returned  thanks 
to'tlie  Fatbcir  for  his  hospitality,  I  took  my  leave. 

'I  learned  that  the  family  of  the  Trappists  consists  of  about 
eighty  peVsons,  a  cdnsiderable  number  of  whom  are  not  at  home. 
The  boys  are  generally  American ;  the  men  principally  Ger- 

tniin  and  French.    They  expect  a  COusiaerabie  accession  froQi 

N  n 


/ 


K!   \ 


I    't, 


ii 


!l' 


3f0 


APPENDIX. 


Europe.  It  is  about  a  year  siince  they  have  been  fixed  in  thiifl 
plucc.  Lust  bummer  provml  fatal  to  five  or  six*  uiiU  few  eaea- 
pcd  the  prevailing  lever.  They  deny  the  place  to  be  unheal* 
thy)  and  say  that  those  who  died  were  thicfly  oid  men;  the  niea-> 
gci-  diet,  and  scaniy  nourishmentt  which  ia  taken  by  Huch  as  havo 
n)ade  the  vow,  must  certainly  contribute.  They  first  settled  in 
Kentucky,  afterwards  came  to  Florisant  near  St.  Loi^is,  and 
from  thence  to  their  present  residence.  They  are  suppohtd 
to  be  an  industrious  well  meaning  people,  and  1  should  Lc 
willing  to  see  them  treated  with  re»pect«  and  even  eneourage- 
ment  in  all  but  one  thing;  the  education  of  children.  This  is 
foreign  from  the  original  design  of  their  instiiution,  which  is  a 
total  exclusion  from  the  world.  Such  a  place  is  for  a  thousand 
reasons  not  calculated  for  a  school ;  a  boy  brought  up  here  to  the 
age  of  one  and  twenty,  can  never  be  fit  for  any  thing  but  a  Trup- 
pist.  It  may  oe  said  that  an  asylum  is  here  offered  to  those  in 
cxtrenoe  distress — to  those  unfortunate  wretches,  who,  aged  and 
friendles  are  in  danger  of  perishing  of  want  Happily  for  our 
country  such  instances  arc  rare  indeed.  Or  for  those  unhap- 
py orphans,  who  muy  bf  exposed  from  their  helplessness  to  be 
without  support,  and  to  whom,  inhuman  barbarity  may  have  de- 
nied a  home  and  a  protection.  I  may  safely  say  that  these  are 
as  rare  as  the  o  ;ers.  In  America,  it  is  not  necessary  as  in  Eu- 
rope, to  give  a  fee  with  a  boy  who  is  bound  apprentice  to  any 
particular  calling ;  on  the  contrary  there  is  scarcely  any  mecha- 
nic who  will  not  gladly  take  him  and  teach  him  his  trade  for  the 
service  which  he  may  render,  before  the  expiration  of  the  ap- 
prenticeship 

A  brief  history  of  this  singular  institution,  may  not  be  unen- 
tertaining.  The  monastery  of  La  Trappe  was  situated  tn  the 
province  of  Perche  in  France :  in  one  of  the  most  solitary  spots 
that  could  be  chosen.  It  was  founded  in  1 140  by  Rotrou  Count 
of  Per:he.  This  monastery  had  fallen  into  decay,  and  its  di«>> 
cipline  much  relaxed,  wheti  reformed  by  the  Abbe  Ranc6  1664. 
Ranc.^  had  met  with  some  misfortune,  which  rendered  life  hate- 
fiil  to  him,  some  assert  the  sudden  death  of  madam  Montbazor, 
whosiB  favorite  lover  he  was.  H<'  had  been  a  nran  of  fat^hion, 
and  posteefifid  some  pretensioua  to  iit<;i-ature}  he  is  said  loiiave 


APPENDIX; 


29i 


trntislatcd  the  poems  of  Anacrcon.  Into  this  monastery,  wliiUi- 
t  ime,  he  curried  u  reform  of  the  niobt  s..vuge  austerity.— 

Tl)t5  vow  was  perpetuul  silence ;  the  miserable  Trappist  de- 
nied himself  during  his  existence,  every  comfort  of  life.  Ue 
laid  liimseif  on  a  stone,  and  was  frequently  CttUcd  in  the  dead 
ot  iii)i;ht  to  his  devotions.  Hin  food  was  bread  uhd  water,  and 
tins  but  once  in  the  twctiiy-fonr  l^our*.  Each  day  he  was  to 
remove  from  his  intended  grave  one  ^tpadefull  of  earth,  in  order 
to  keep  ever  present  to  his  nund  that  he  must  soon  entirely 
cease  to  be  of  this  world.  A  Fnnch  writer,  (who  is  however, 
influenced  by  enmity)  observing  rpon  this  tnonastcryt  says-- 
CfA^  la^  qu'tls  se  rctlrentf  crux  qui  ont  commis  ('ueltjut  crime  se- 
erit  dont  l^a  remorda  les pountuivint ;  ccux  (jni  sortt  tourmenii'a 
dc  vafieura  tnrlancholiquea  et  retigifuses ;  ceux  qui  out  oublit'  que 
Ditu  eat  te  filun  misc'ricordivux  dcsjie^rcs,  et  qui  no  votjeut  en  (ui, 
que  le  fUua  cruel  dea  tijraus,  istc. 

I  think  it  unnecessary  to  give  my  opinion  on  the  raturc  of 
the  institution — such  institutions  it  must  be  acknowledged  are 
j)ot  treated  with  much  respect  in  the  United  States,  we  can 
hardly  speak  of  them  with  candor,  or  think  of  them  without  pre- 
judice. It  is  true,  this  is  the  land  of  freedom  and  toleration, 
but  it  is  also  the  land  of  good  sense.  Every  one  may  pursue  his 
spiritual  or  temporal  happiness,  in  what  way  he  pleases;  bu*  his 
neighbors  have  also  the  liberty  of  laughing  at  him,  if  in  the 
pursuit  of  that  happiness,  he  exhibits  singularilics  whiclj  yp- 
pear  to  the  rest  of  the  world  ridiculous. 


(No.  6.) 

The  following  articles  of  the  treaty  of  *^63,'raisc  a  neoessaTy 
implication  that  France  w  i  the  lawful  owner  of  what  is  called 
West  Florida.  It  wilt  be  seen  that  the  ccssJoii  was  fn  fact  made 
by  France  to  Qre^^t  Britaiti. 

t 

ARTICLi}  7. 

In  order  to  re-establish  peace  on  solid  and  durable  founda- 
tions, and  to  remove  forever  aH  subject  of  dispute  with  re::^ard 
to  the  British- jind  French  territories  on  the  continent  of  Ame- 


|! 


993 


APPENDIX. 


ric9.  It  U  agreed  that  for  the  future  the  confines  between  the 
dominiontt  of  his  Britannic  majesty  and  those  of  his  MostChris- 
tian  majesty  in  that  part  of  the  world,  shuU  be  irrevocably  fixed 
by  a  line  drawn  alcng  the  middle  of  the  river  Mississippi,  from 
its  source  to  the  river  Iberville,  and  from  thence  by  a  line  drawn 
along  the  middle  of  this  and  the  lake  Maurepas  and  Ponchar' 
truui,  to  the  sea ;  and  for  this  purpose  the  Moat  Christian  king 
cedes  in  full  right  and  guarantees  to  Ma  Britannic  rnqjesty^  the 
Ttver  and  port  of  the  Mobile^  and  every  thing  vthith  heposaettS' 
es  or  ought  to  possess  on  tiu  lift  side  qfthe  river  Mississippi^ 
except  the  town  qf  JVcw  Orleans  and  the  island  on  which  iV  U 
fituateJj  O'Ct 

ABTICLS  2Q. 

*(  His  Catholic  majesty  cedes  and  guarantees  in  full  right  to 
his  Britannic  majesty,  Florida,  with  V^vi  St.  Augustin,  and  the 
bay  uf  Pensacolu,  as  well  as  all  that  Spain  possesses  on  the  con- 
tinent of  ^orth  Amprica,  to  the  E.  or  to  the  S.  IZ  of  the  river 
Mississippi,  ;^nd  in  general,  eyery  thvig  that  depends  on  the  said 
countries  and  lands,  with  the  sovereignty,  property,  possession, 
and  all  rights  acquired  by  treaties,  or  otherwise,  which  the  Ca- 
tholic  king  and  crown  qf  Spain  have  had  till  now  over  the  taid 
countries,  lands,  places,  and  their  inhabitants,  so  that  the  Ci^tho- 
lic  king  {Cedes  and  makes  over  the  whole  to  the  said  king,  and 
to  the  crown  of  Great  Bii.ain,  &c. 

This  country  must  necessarily,  therefore,  have  formed  part 
of  Loui«iai)a,  and  us  such,  appertained  to  France.  Spain  cedes 
to  France,  by  the  treaty  of  Udefonso,  Louisiana  as  it  had  been 
beUl  by  Frances,  aftd  not  in  the  extent  held  by  her  at  the  time  of 
icession. 

It)  the  3d  chapter  of  the  first  book,  there  fire  some  observa* 
tions  w^ich  would  seem  to  attach  blame  tp  the  coinmissioners. 
But  I  am  induced  tp  believe  from  further  inquiry,  that  1  have 
merely  taken  up  the  popular  opinion-  Gov.  Claiborne  has  pro- 
xnised  to  favor  i^t^  with  the  procea  vcrbqi^  which  I  will  publish 
^hpuld  this  bopk  ever  be  thought  wO'Hhy  pf  secpnd  edition. 


^- 


APPENDIX. 


(^>7). 


% 


MiuQuri,  to  th^  ^(^#f  oi|  (A/:;^^#finfWi  ft^Mr^  ^«^^|(. 

AFTEg  giving.ai,numbe;r,o|r  mc^»,  to  the  P/»W!?ie  c^e^a, 
apd  having  vtiiioi^  cpupcU^  with  them,  Mf .  Siji^y,  qn  t^,  \.\}\. 
of  J^Qe  l«ft  th,eir  vii^g^^s  apd  proceeded  to  ttije,  Iy,i,l^t^«  QiH»g6, 
camp,  00  the  Apkap;^!,  abqut,7i,roj^e8.sputh,an4;16^.eM»tfro<i>, 
the  Vnxjifit  w.hiei;&  he  safely,  arvived  oa  the  lUi^.    1,  rfitutyit 
edi  pays  he,  several  /iays  wit^  the  Oi^ag^es,  whp  had,  a|)Vj^duQce. 
of  prpvi&ions,  they  haying  kU^d  200  U^flUloc  withi^ufew  day^. 
Where,  they  had  their  camp*  thfB  Arhjip.sas  was.abf^^t  tw(0  t^u^ 
dred  yards  v(ide»  the  w^ter  si^^llpwi  ntpid,  apd^.of  ared  color ,<~«. 
On  the  16th,  the  IndiaQ/f  raji^jd  t^ir  camp,  and  p^epd^d  to,-, . 
-wards  the  hilly  coi^i^try  on  th,^  other,  side  of  the  AfkaD,s^.s.7-T. 
I  continued  with,  them  abqut  50  rail(e«  west,  and  30  n^li^a  t^a^t^ 
when,  we  fell  in  with  songie. i^en  o^.  the  Chaniers  bund,.  whjOj in> . 
formed  us  that  their  camp  was  at  no  great  dist^pce*  «tpd  thje 
camp  of  t^e  Big  Os^ge.  stiU  nearer,  in^coiiisequenee,  I  jdctermiin- 
edto  pass  through  both  on,  my  way.  to  the  Grand  Salines,     Oa. 
the  21  St,  I  rode  S^  4p  milest  £.  30,  to  the  Ii.^$  Osage  camp; 
nearly  ail  the  warriors  were  at  war,  or  abroad  hunting.    !  was 
remarkably  well  treated  by  Young  White  Hair,  an^,  f^fmly,  I , 
liowever,  remained  but  one  night  with  them.  On  the  23df  I  ^-ode 
20  miles  S.  15  E.  to  the  Chaniers  caror>,  where  we  arrW^d  about, 
one  o'clock.     We  were  treated  well  by  the  head  men^an^iu' 
deed«  this  is  one  of  the  tribes  most  attached  to  the  Americans.. 
The  chief's  name  i^  Clermont.     Froni  hence  forty  m^lft;^  to  the, 
Grand  Saline,  which  we  r^ched  early  on  the  24*,h    I  h^st^n  to 
give  you  a  description  of  his  celebrated  curiosity.  The  Grand^ 
Saline  is  situated  about  280  iniles  S.,  W.  of  Fort  Osage,  between, 
two  forks  of  a  small  branch  of  the  Arkansas,  one  of  w^iich  Witsthjes 
its  southern  extremity,  and  the  otb(?r  the  prinf;ipal  oji^^  ru^s, 
nearly  parallel  within  a  mile  of  its  opposite  vX^fi^    It  *&  a  hard 
lev'^l  plain  of  a  reddish  colored  sand,  and  of  pn  irregular  or  n>ix- 
cd  hgure  \  its  greatest  kjigth  is  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E.  and  it« 


;*  ■ 


904 


APPRNDTX. 


circumference  full  30  miles—from  the  appearance  of  driftwood 
that  is  scattered  over,  it  wuuid  seem  thut  tiie  witole  ptuiii  is  at 
tinieii  inundated  by  the  overflowing  of  the  si  uums  that  puss  near 
it.  This  plain  is  entirely  covered  in  dry  hot  weather,  from  two 
to  six  inches  deep,  with  a  crust  of  b^uutiful  clean  white  salty 
of  a  quality  rather  superior  to  the  imported  blown  salt}  it 
b^^urs  a  striking  resemblance  to  a  field  of  brilliant  snow  after  a 
Tt^h,  with  a  li^ht  crust  on  its  top  On  a  bright  sunny  morning, 
the  appearance  of  this  iiuturul  curiosity  is  highly  picturesque. 
It  possesses  the  quality  of  looming  or  magnifying  objects,  and 
this  in  a  very  striking  degree,  making  the  small  billets  of  wood 
appear  as  ftirmid.kble  m  trees.  Numbers  nt'  buffaioe  were  on  tlie 
plain.  The  Saline  is  environed  by  u  strip  of  murshy  prairie  with 
a  few  scattering  trees,  mostly  of  cotton  wood.  Behind,  there  is 
•  range  of  sand  hills,  some  of  whicn  u^e  perfectly  naked,  others 
thinly  clothed  witti  verdure  und  dwarf  plum  bushes,  not  more 
than  thirty  inches  in  height,  from  which  we  procured  abundance 
of  the  most  delicious  plums  I  ever  tasted.  The  distance  to  a  na- 
Tigable  branch  of  the  Arkansas,  ujoui  80  miles,  the  country  to» 
levab^y  level,  and  the  wuter  courses  easily  passed. 

About  60  miles  S.  W.  from  this,  I  came  to  the  Saline,  the 
vrhole  of  this  distaiice  lyinv;;  over  a  country  remarkably  rug{j;t  d 
and  broken,  affording  ;he  mosi  romantic  and  picturesque  views 
imaginable.  It  is  a  tract  of  about  75  mileH  square,  in  which 
nature  has  displayed  a  greut  variety  of  the  most  strange  and 
Hrhimsical  vagaries.  It  is  an  usHemblagi-  of  !)(iautiful  meadows, 
verdant  ridges,  and  rude  misshapen  piles  of  red  clay  thrown  to« 
gether  in  the  utmost  apparent  confusion,  yet,  affording  the  mo|t 
pleasing  harmonies,  and  presenting:;  in  every  direction  an  endless 
variety  of  curious  and  interesting  objects.  After  winding  along 
for  a  few  miles  on  the  high  ridges,  you  suddenly  descend  an  al- 
most perpendicular  declivity  of  rocks  a<^d  clay,  into  a  series  of 
levr.i  fertile  meadows^^  watereu  by  some  beautiful  rivulets,  and 
jhcre  and  there  adorned  with  shrubby  cotton  trees,  elms  and  ce^ 
dars.  These  meadows  are  divided  by  chains  formed  of  red  clay,, 
and  huge  masses  of  gypsum,  with  here  and  thee  a  pyramid  of 
gravel.  One  might  imagine  himself  surrounded  by  the  ruins 
^  some  ancient  city,  and  that  the  plaint  had  sunk  by  some  con* 


APPEiroiX. 


985 


tulsion  of  nature,  more  than  too  ieet  below  its  former  level;  for 
some  of  the  huge  columns  of  red  clciy  rise  to  the  height  of  UUO 
feet  perpendicular,  capped  withrockttof  gypsum,  which  the 
hand  of  time  is  ever  crumbling  ofl\  and  strewing  in  jtauiiful 
transparent  flukes  along  the  declivities  of  the  hill,  Kiitttriii^g  like 
JO  many  mirrors  iu  the  sun. 


—J 


I 


i|: 


.i:v 


AMERICAN  ENTERPRISE. 


^ 


(No.  8.) 

WE  last  week  promised  our  readers  an  account  of  the  jour- 
uey  of  the  gentlemen  attached  to  the  New  York  Fur  Company) 
from  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  this  place — We  now  lay  it  before  our 
readers,  as  collected  from  the  gentlemen  themselves. 

On  the  2Sth  June  1813,  Mr.  Robert  Steuart,  one  of  the  part- 
ners of  the  Pucific  Fur  Company,  with  two  Frenchmen,  Messrs. 
Ramsey  Crooks-and  Robt.  M^Clellan,  left  the  Pacific  Ocean  with 
despatches  for  New  York. 

After  ascending  the  Columbia  river  90  miles,  John  Day,  one 
of  the  hunterS)  became  perfectly  insane,  and  was  sent  back  to 
the  main  establishment,  under  the  charge  of  some  Indians;  the 
remaining  six  pursued  their  voyage  upwards  of  600  miles, 
when  they  happily  met  with  Mr.  Joseph  Miller,  on  his  way  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia ;  he  had  been  considerably  to  the 
south  and  cast,  among  the  nations  called  Blackarms  and  Arapa* 
hays,  by  the  latter  of  whom  he  was  robbed ;  in  consequence  of 
which,  he  suffered  almost  every  privation  human  nature  is  ca- 
pable of,  and  was  in  a  state  of  starvation  and  almost  nudity  when 
the  party  met  him. 

They  now  had  fifteen  horses,  and  pursued  their  journey  for 
the  Atlantic  world,  without  any  uncommon  accident)  until  with- 
in about  200  miles  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  where  they  unfortu^ 
nately  met  with  a  party  of  the  Crow  Indians,  who  behaved  with 
the  most  unbounded  insoleuce,  and  were  solely  prevented  from 
cutting  off  the  party,  by  observing  tliem  well  armed  and  con- 
stantly on  their  guard.  They  however  pursued  on  their  track 
six  days,  and  finally  stole  every  horse  belonging  to  the  party. 

Some  idea  of  the  situation  of  those  men  may  be  conceived^ 
When  we  take  into  consideration,  that  they  were  now  on  foot,  and 
had  a  journey  of  2000  miles  before  them,  1500  of  which  was  en« 
tirely  unknown,  as  they  intended  and  prosecuted  It  considerably 
south  of  Messrs.  Lewis  and  Clark's  route ;  the  impossibility  of 
carrying  any  quantity  of  provisions  on  their  backs,  in  addition  to 
their  amijnunition,  and  bedding,  will  occnr  jit  first  vieVt 

Oo 


V 


l; 


I 


^  ^' 


V 


) 


1 


^m 


APPKT^DlJi. 


*  The  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  sturvation  was  itnmi-' 
nent.  They  however  put  the  besi  face  upon  their  prospecis^ 
and  pursued  their  route  towards  the  Rocky  mountains  at  the 
head  waters  of  the  Colorado^  or  Spanish  river,  and  stuod  their 
course  £.  S.  £.  until  they  struck  the  head  waters  of  the  great 
river  Platte,  which  they  undeviatingly  followed  to  its  mouth. 
It  may  here  be  observed,  that  this  river  for  about  'iOU  miles,  is 
navigable  for  a  barge;  from  thence  to  the  Oito  villa|;c,  within 
45  miles  of  its  entrance  into  the  Missouri,  it  is  a  mere  bed  of 
sand,  without  water  sufficient  to  float  a  skin  canoe. 

From  the  Otto  village  to  St.  Louis,  the  party  performed 
their  voyage  in  a  canoe,  furnished  them  by  the  natives,  and  ar- 
rived here  in  perfect  health  on  the  30th  of  last  month,  (May). 

Our  travellers  did  not  hear  of  the  war  with  England  until 
they  came  to  the  Ottocs ;  these  people  told  them  that  the  Shaw- 
noe  Prophet  had  sent  them  a  wampum,  inviting  them  to  join  in 
the  war  against  the  Americans ;  that  they  answered  the  mes- 
senger, that  they  could  make  more  by  trapping  beaver  than 
making  war  against  the  Americans.  . 

After  crossing  the  hills  (Rocky  mountains)  they  happily  fell 
in  with  a  small  party  of  Snake  Indians,  from  whom  they  pur- 
diased  a  horse,  who  relieved  them  from  any  further  carriage  of 
food,  and  this  faithful  four-footed  companion  performed  that  ser- 
vice to  the  Otto  village.  They  wintered  on  the  river  Platte, 
600  miles  from  its  mouth. 

By  information  received  from  these  gentlemen,  it  appears 
that  a  journey  across  the  continent  of  N.  America,  might  be  per- 
formed with  a  wagon,  there  being  no  obstruction  in  the  whole 
route  that  any  person  would  dare  to  call  a  mountain,  in  addition 
to  its  being  much  the  most  direct  and  short  one  to  go  from  this 
place  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river.  Any  future  party 
who  may  undertake  this  journey,  and  are  tolerably  acquainted 
with  the  different  pKtces  where  it  would  be  necessary  to  lay  up 
a  small  stock  of  provisions,  would  not  be  impeded,  as  in  all  pro- 
bability they  would  not  meet  with  an  Indian  to  interrupt  their 
pragress— although  on  the  other  route  more  north,  there  arc 
almost  insurmountable  barriers. 

Messrs.  Hunt,  Crooks,  Miller,  MClelland,  M'Kenzie,  and 
about  60  men  who  left  Si.  Louis  in  the  beginning  of  Marobf, 


i 


APPENDIX. 


^ 


.18  U,  for  the  Pacific  ocean,  reached  the  Ankara  village  on  tho 
IStli  duy  of  June,  where  mectin{r  with  some  Amctlcun  hunters 
Vfho  had  been  the  precedinj^  year  on  the  waters  of  the  Columbia 
ivith  Mr.  Henry,  und  who,  (riving  such  an  account  of  the  route 
|>y  which  they  passed,  as  beiny;  far  preferable  in  point  of  procur- 
ing with  facility  an  abundant  supply  of  food  at  all  times,  as  well 
as  avoiding  even  the  probability  of  seeing  their  enemies  the 
Black  Feet,  than  by  the  track,  of  captains  Lewis  &  Clark;  the 
gentlemen  of  the  expedition  i»l  once  abandoned  their  former 
iJeus  of  passing  by  the  falls  of  the  Missouri,  and  made  the  ne- 
cessary arrangements  for  commencing  their  journey  over  land 
from  this  place. 

Eighty  horses  were  purchased  and  equipped  by  the  17th  of 
July,  und  on  the  day  following  they  departed  from  the  Arikaras, 
60  persons  in  number,  all  on  foot  except  the  partners  of  tho 
company.  In  this  situation  they  proceeded  for  five  days,  hav- 
ing crossed  in  that  time  two  considerable  streams  which  joinet) 
the  Missouri  below  the  Arikarus,  when  finding  an  inland  tribe 
ot  Indians  calling  themselves  Siiawhays,  but  known  among  tl^ 
whites  by  the  appellations  of  Chiennes,  we  procured  from 
these  people  an  accesiiirn  of  40  horses,  which  enabled  the  gen- 
tlemen to  furnish  a  horse  for  every  two  men.  Steering  about 
W.  S.  W.  they  passed  the  small  branches  of  Big  river,  the  Lit- 
tle Missouri  above  its  forks,  and  several  of  the  tributary  streams 
of  Powder  river,  one  of  which  they  followed  up,  they  fuund  a 
band  of  the  Absaroka  or  Crow  nation,  encamped  on  its  banks, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Big  Horn  mountain. 

For  ammunition  and  some  small  articles,  they  exchanged  all 
their  lame  for  sound  horses  with  these  savages  ;  but  although, 
that  this  band  has  been  allowed  by  every  one  who  knew  them, 
to  be  by  far  the  best  behaved  of  their  tribe,  it  was  only  by  that 
unalterable  determination  of  the  gentlemen  to  avoid  jeopardiz- 
ing the  safety  of  the  party  without  at  the  same  moment  submit- 
ting to  intentional  insults,  that  they  left  this  camp  (not  possess, 
ing  a  greater  force  than  theVhites)  without  coming  to  blows. 

The  distance  from  the  Arikaras  to  this  mountain,  is  about 
450  miles  over  an  extremely  rugged  tract,  by  no  means  furnisft- 
^g  {\  sufficient  supply  of  \yator5  bi!t  during  lU<?  38  days  they 


$» 


APPENDIX. 


■were  getting  to  the  base  of  the  mountain,  they  were  only  in  a. 
few  instances  without  abundance  of  buifaloe  meat. 

Three  days  took  them  over  to  the  plains  of  Mad  river,  ^thc 
name  given  the  Big  Horn  above  this  mountain)  which  following 
for  a  numbcrof  days, they  left  it  where  it  was  reduced  to  80  yards 
in  width,  and  the  same  evening  reached  the  banks  of  the  Colo- 
rado or  Spanish  river.  Finding  flocks  of  buffaloc  at  the  end  of 
the  third  day's  travel  on  this  stream,  the  party  passed  a  week 
in  drying  buffuloe  meat  for  the  residue  of  the  voyage,  as  in  all 
probability  those  were  the  last  animals  of  the  kind  they  would 
meet  with.  From  this  camp,  in  one  day,  they  crossed  the  di- 
viding mountain,  and  pitched  their  tents  on  Hoback's  Jork  of 
iMad  river,  where  it  was  near  15Q  feet  broad,  and  in  eight  days 
more  having  passed  several  stupendous  ridges,  they  encamped 
an  the  vicinity  of  the  establishment  madejjy  Mr.  Henry,  in  the 
fall  of  1810,  on  a  fork  about  70  yards  wide,  bearing  the  name 
of  that  gentleman ;  having  travelled  from  the  main  Missouri 
about  900  miles  in  54  days. 

Here  abandoning  their  horses,  the  party  constructed  canoes 
and  descended  the  Snake  or  Ky-eye-nem  river,  (made  by  the 
junction  of  Mad  river,  south  of  Henry's  fork)  400  miles,  in  the 
course  of  which  they  were  obliged  by  the  intervention  of  im- 
passable rapids  to  make  a  number  of  portages,  till  at  length  they 
found  the  river  confined  between  gloomy  precipices  at  least  200 
feet  perpendicular,  whose  banks  for  the  most  part  were  washed 
by  this  turbulent  stream,  which  for  30  miles  was  a  continual 
succession  of  falls,  cascades  and  rapids.  Mr.  Cook's  canoe  had 
split  and  upset  in  the  middle  of  a  rapid,  by  which  one  man  was 
drowned,  named  Antonie  Clappin,  and  that  gentleman  saved 
himself  only  by  extreme  exertion  in  swimming.  From  the  re- 
peated losses  by  the  upsettingof  canoes,  our  stock  of  provisions 
were  now  reduced  to  a  bare  sufficiency  for  five  days,  totally  ig- 
norant of  the  country  wiiei^c  they  were,  and  unsuccessful  in 
meeting  any  of  the  natives  from  whom  they  could  hope  for  in- 
formation. 

Unable  to  proceed  by  water,  Messrs.  M'Kenzie,  M'Clelland 
and  Reed,  set  out  in  different  directions,  inclining  down  the  riv- 
CTjfor  the  purpose  of  finding  Indians  and  buying  horses.     Mr 


APPENDIX. 


301 


Crooks  with  a  few  men  returned  to  Henry's  fork  for  those  the/ 
had  left,  while  Mr.  Hunt  remained  with  the  main  budy  of  the  men) 
in  trapping  beaver  for  their  support.     Mr.  Crooks  finding  the 
distance  much  greater  by  land  than  he  had  contemplated,  return- 
ed, at  the  end  of  three  days,  where  waiting  five  more)  expecting 
relief  from  below — the  near  approach  of  winter  made  them  de- 
termine on  depositing  all  superfluous  articles,  and  proceed  on 
■foot.  Accordingly,  on  the  1 0th  of  Nov.  Messrs.  Hunt  8c  Crooks 
set  out,  each  with  18  men,  one  party  on  the  S.  side  of  the  river. 
Mr.  Hunt  was  fortunate  in  finding  Indians  with  abundance 
of  salmon  and  some  horses,  but  Mr.  Crooks  saw  but  few  and 
in  general  too  miserably  poor  to  afford  his  party  assistance ; 
thirteen  days  travel  brought  the  latter  to  a  high  range  of  moun- 
tains through  which  the  rWer  forced  a  passage,  and  the  banks 
being  their  only  guide,  they  still  by  climbing  over  points  of  roc- 
ky ridges  p   ejecting  into  the  stream,  kept  as  near  it  as  possible, 
till  in  the  evening  of  the  3d  Dec.  impassible  precipices  of  im« 
mense  height  put  an  end  to  all  hopes  of  following  the  margin 
of  this  water  course,  which  here  was  no  more  than  40  yards 
wide,  ran  with  incredible  velocity  and  was  withul  so  foamingly 
tumultuous,  that  even  had  the  opposite  bank  been  fit  for  their 
purpose,  attempt  at  rafting  wonld  have  been  perfect  madness, 
as  they  could  only  have  the  inducement  of  ending  in  a  watery 
grave  a  series  of  hardships  and  privations,  to  which  the  most 
hardy  and  determined  of  the  human  race,  must  have  found  him- 
self inadequate.     They  attempted  to  climb  the  mountains,'  still 
bent  on  pushing  on,  but  after  ascending  forlialf  a  day,  they  dis- 
covered 10  their  sorrow  that  they  were  not  halfway  to  the 
summit,  and  the  snow  already  too  deep  for  men  in  their  emaci- 
ated  state  to  proceed  further. 

Regaining  the  river  bank,  they  returned  up,  and  on  the  third 
day  met  with  Mr.  Hunt  and  party,  with  one  horse  proceeding 
downwards ;  a  canoe  was  soon  made  of  a  horse  hide  and  in  it 
transported  some  meat,  what  they  could  spare  to  Mr.  Crooks'fi 
starving  followers,  who  for  the  first  1 8  days  after  leaving  the 
place  of  deposite,  had  subsisted  on  half  a  meal  in  34  hours,  and 
in  the  last  nine  days  had  eat  only  one  beaver,  a  dog,  a  few  wild 
cherries,  and  old  moccasin  soals,  having  travelled  during  these 
27  days  at  least  550  miles.  For  the  pext  four  days,  both  par- 
ties continued  on  up  the  river,  without  any  other  support  that? 
what  little  rosebuds  and  cherries  they  could  find,  but  here  they 
luckily  fell  in  with  some  Snake  Indians,  from  whom  they  got 
five  horses,  giving  them  three  guns  and  some  other  articles  for 
the  same.  Starvation  had  bereft  J.  B.  Provost  of  i>is  senses  en- 
tirely, and  on  seeing  the  horse  flesh  on  the  opposit .  side  of  the 
river,  was  so  agitated  in  crossing  in  a  skin  canoe,  that  he  upset 
it  and  was  unfortunately  drowned.  From  hence  Mr^  Hunt  went 
Qn  to  a  cump  of  Shoshonies  about  90  miles  above,  -vyhere  pro- 


/» 


S0&" 


APPENDIX. 


curing  ft  few  horses  and  a  guide,  he  set  out  for  the  main  Colum- 
bia^ across  the  mountains  to  the  south  west,  leaving;  the  river 
where  it  entered  the  range,  and  on  it  Mr.  Crooks  and  five  men 
unable  to  travel. 

Mr.  H.  lost  a  Canadian  named  Carrier,  by  starvation,  before 
he  met  the  Shy-eye-to-ga  Indians  in  the  Columbia  plains ;  from 
vrhom  getting  a  supply  of  provisions  he  soon  reached  the  main 
river,  which  he  descended  in  canoes*  and  arrived  Hfithout  any 
further  loss  at  Astoria,  in  the  month  ot  Februuiy. 

Messrs.  M'Kenzie,  M'Clclland  and  Ruea,  had  united  their 
parties  on  the  Snake  river  mountams,  through  which  they  tra- 
velled twenty  one  days,  to  the  Muipot  river,  subsisting  on  an  al- 
lowance by  no  means  adequate  to  the  toils  they  underwent  dai- 
ly; and  to  the  smaliness  of  their  number  (which  was  in  all  ele- 
ven) they  attribute  their  success  in  getting  with  life  to  where 
they  found  some  wild  horses ;  tht-y  soon  after  reached  the  torks 
called  by  captains  Lewis  and  Clark,  Koolkooske;  went  down 
Lewis's  purty,  and  the  Columbia  whoUy  by  water,  without  any 
misfortune  except  the  upsetting  in  a  rupiu  of  Mr.  M'Clellund's 
canoe,  and  although  it  happened  on  the  first  day  of  the  year,  yet 
by  great  exertion  they  clung  to  the  cunoe  till  the  others  came 
to  their  assistance,  making  their  escape  with  the  loss  of  some 
rifles,  they  reached  Astoria  early  in  January. 

Three  of  the  five  men  who  remained  with  Mr.  Crooks,  afraid 
of  perishing  by  want,  left  him  in  February  on  a  small  river  on 
the  road  by  which  Mr.  Hunt  had  passed  in  quest  of  Indians,  and 
have  nut  since  been  heard  of.  Mr.  C.  had  followed  Mr.  H's. 
track  in  the  snow  for  seven  days,  but  coming  to  a  low  prairie  he 
lost  every  appearance  of  a  trace  and  was  compelled  to  pass  the 
remaining  part  of  winter  in  mountains,  subsisting  sometimes 
on  beaver  and  horse  meat,  and  their  skins,  and  at  others,  on  their 
success  in  finding  roots.  Finally  on  the  last  of  March  the  other 
only  Canadian  being  unable  to  proceed  was  left  with  a  lodge  of 
'  Shoshonies,  and  Mr.  C.  with  John  Day,  finding  the  snow  sufii- 
ciently  diminished,  undertook  from  Indian  information  to  cross 
the  last  ridge,  which  they  happily  efTected  and  reached  the  banks 
of  the  Columbia  in  the  middle  of  April,  where,  in  the  beginning 
of  May  they  fell  in  with  Messrs.  Steuart  and  company,  having 
been  a  few  days  before  stripped  of  every  thing  they  possessed  bv 
a  band  of  villains  near  the  falls.  On  the  10th  of  May,  they  ar- 
rived safe  at  Astoria,  the  principal  establishment  of  the  Pacific 
^>ur  Company,  within  14  miles  of  Cape  Disappointment. 


TJIE  EJdJl- 


^ONTENTSt 


*.J>«W        BOOK  I. 

•■••••  .  ■  .  , 

to    Tt<B    UBADER  •  •  .        •  '         jr  •  r  ;  •  3 

CHAP.  I. 

Discovery  and  first  Settlement  of  Louisiana         ;,        «        .       ,        9 

CHAP.  II. 

Boundaries  of  Ijouisijtna        .        .        •        •        >       •       ^       ^      ^ 

CHAP.  III. 

Pace  of  the  Country — Change  which  a  par^  hag  probably  under- 
gone— Climate— £xtent  and  Importance    ...»       ^      37 

CHAP.  IV. 

Lakes  and  Rivers  G6 

A  Table  of  navigable  rivers  in  Louisiana-^Extent  of  navigation  .       SI 

CHAP.  V. 

Natural  or  Indigenous  productions — Animal,  Vegetable  and  Mi- 
neral ^ 44 

CHAP,  vi^ 
A  view  of  the  Indian  nations  of  Louisiana— Of  the  Indian  trade 

for  furs,  &c — Of  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  .        .        «      09 

A  Table  of  the  Indian  nations  of  Louisiana— Their  trade,  &c.      *      85 

CHAP.  vil. 
View  of  the  country  on  the  Columbia  .       ^       •        .     /.      95 

BOOK  II. 

CHAP.  I. 

Territory  of  the  Missouri— Boundaries— Uxtent— Rivers— Geflf- 
ral  view      «        .....        .        .        .        ,        .        •      ip9 

CHAP.  II. 

Soil — Face  of  the  conntry^  &c  from  Xew  Madrid  to  the  Missouri 
—Forks  of  the  Missouri     .        .        ,        .        .       ..        .       ^    IQS 

CHAP.  III. 
€limate— Diseases         ........       ^        .    Ill 

CHAP.  IV. 

Political  divisions— Inhabitants— Settlements— Population  .        .    1\2 

CHAP.  V, 
Towns  and  villages      ..        ,        .       .       ,.        k       •  -    Xt9 


I  ■ 


•f; 


.* 


I 


3M  CONTENTS: 

CHAP.  VI. 

Historical  Ckaracter  of  the  ancient  inhabitanta— change  oi  Ger> 
eminent     ••••••••••»    IStJ 

CHAP.  VII. 

Lead  Mines  in  the  District  of  St.  Genevieve— Mode  of  mining— 
Produce,  fcc. 146 

■  CH'AP.  VIII. 

Kesources— -Agriculture — Manufoeturea-^Trade        .       »       .156 

tHAP.  IX. 
State  of  Louisiana— Boundarie»—43erteral  Surface,  8ic.        ».       ^    157 

LEVBBa.     ..».-..■    ITS 

CUkt.  3Ck 

Antiquitiea  in  the  Valley  of  the  Miaaiasippi         »       .       *.      .    19), 

JOURNAL. 

CHAP.  I. «      .       199 

CHAP.  ir. HOT 

.  OHAP.  III.        .      .     .',      k     .      ,  219 

CHAP.  IV.  ........  S27 

CHAP.  V.         .....    «^.,.  339 

'  CHAP.  VI.  •    .     .....  247 

CHAP.  VII.        .......      259 

A  TABLB  of  distances)  Sec.  r    .      26# 

APPENDIX. 

^o.  1.)  Extracts  from  Humboldt's  New  Spun    .       .,       .       .269 

(No.  %)  The  mound  near  Sultzertown,  M.  T 27t 

(No.  3.)  A  comknunicatioA  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mill^  on  the  same  380 
(No.  4.)  Account  of  Madisonville,  and  a  part  of  the  Miasisnppi 

Territory       .'.       ..       .       .       .       ..  391 

(No.  $.)  A  description  of  the  Trappista       .               ...  287 

(No.  6.)  Articles  of  treaty  respectinjf  the  boundaries  of  Louisiana  291 

(No.  f .)  Eixtract  from  an  account  of  Mr.  Sibly'a  joumey,  ke,      .  S93 

^0.  8.)  American  EnlerprisQ  . ,  ^       «                      ^               .,  "TpT 


1 


146 
156 
157 

irj- 

Ifl* 


199 

2or 

319 
227 
339 
347 
259 
36tf 


369 
37t 
280 

SBl 
287 
2fl 

293 


J^^ 


